The Icy Grip of Love
by SweetDigitaLove
Summary: When Kagome finds herself in a situation where Kikyo is out to get her and Inuyasha turns his back on her she just barely makes it out alive only to be found by a demon lord who has tried to kill her numerous times. But thanks to the influence of a child and the curiosity of the lord she is given a second chance at life. But will she be too broken to take that chance?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: **Let me just start by saying, that while I've role played for around ten years now and have dabbled in writing full on stories, this is the first that I've ever posted online. Now that being said, I am not a weak person and I can take and would actually appreciate some constructive criticism.

Also I guess I should say that I own no part of Inuyasha. This is only for entertainment for both myself and anyone who reads it.

Now, that being said; On with the story!

**Chapter 1:**

**Burning Love and the Influence of a Child.**

He was gone again. It seemed as though every time their little group settled down for a break in Edo the hanyou would run off. Of course the raven haired girl knew just why he would run off each time. Waiting for her to go to her own time through the well and staying gone well after she would get back and into the night. But knowing did not make it hurt any less, if anything it made it hurt more. She would rather be blissfully unaware of the attention her past life got from what was supposed to be her dog eared friend and first love.

**"Lady Kagome."** The calm caring voice of one of her oldest friends since she had started coming to this era, a young monk by the name a Miroku, who despite his perverted ways had become somewhat brotherly towards her. That is if you let the odd grope here and there slid by without notice.

**"Yes Miroku?"** She asked him with a small smile and noticed that it was not only him, but a woman who had become like a sister to her, the demon slyer, Sango, who was also looking to her. Both held worry in their eyes for her, and it was then that she realized that she had spent the passed fifteen minutes since she had come back from the well, and her own time, starring at the floor in her own self-pity.

**"You look ill at ease, is there something you would like to talk about, Kagome?"** The purple clad man asked her and she simply shook her head before standing. Sango always heard her rants and confessions when they would go to the hot springs together, and she knew the information was then passed onto Miroku. So she thought that they didn't need to hear her sob stories yet again, she was sure even her little Shippo, her adopted fox demon kit, was tired of them.

**"No, I'm fine, really."** She informed them both as she picked up her bow and arrows, swinging them over her shoulder. **"I'm just going to go for a walk; it's a pleasant night after all."** She told them before heading to the door and pulling the flap back to be greeted by the cool night air. She thought only for a moment about grabbing a sweater before discarding the idea and heading out into the night.

She knew where not to go, even from there as she looked up to the sky she could see that above where the god tree was there was soul collectors flying about, the odd one coming from a distance with a little ball of light that Kagome recognized as a soul of a woman and dropping down out of sight before coming back up with nothing. So instead she turned the opposite way and started taking her first steps away from her friends and the Hanyou that would forever run off and break her heart a little more each time.

As the distance became greater between herself and the one person she felt the need to get away from her steps slowed and she looked around at where she was. This was a direction she didn't get to go in very often, and as such it was a place that she didn't readily recognize. But she knew that all it would take is for her to turn back around and she could find her way back to the village.

Continuing on her way for another five minutes she finally figured that it was enough, she was far enough away that she could actually be alone, while at the same time if Inuyasha came back and needed to find her he wouldn't have a problem finding her scent. Moving to what looked to be an old fallen tree she sat down on the moss covered log with a heavy outwards sigh and she let her bow and arrows fall off her shoulder and onto the ground at her feet.

She was close enough so that she wasn't in any real danger so though she didn't really need them, she had become conditioned with having to bring them everywhere with her just in case.

Sitting there, swinging her feet back and forth as she stared down at the grass, something came up at the edge of her vision forcing her to look and see what the movement was, though she was already opening her mouth to ask Inuyasha to leave her be. As her blue orbs caught sight of this person she soon saw that she had been wrong in her assumption.

There, standing in all her glory with her bow drawn, arrow ready to fire, was Kikyo herself. Wasn't she supposed to be with Inuyasha right now? Wouldn't he have made it to her before she did? Though now that she thought of it, her friends had probably convinced him not to follow and come after her anyway, 'Give her some time,' 'She will be back' they would always say to him.

Well now hadn't been the time for them to do that.

Kagome being the trusting person she was, but also having the thought that she meant her harm in the back of her mind, she didn't jump up and reach for her bow and arrows. Instead she slowly stood and watched as she moved, the arrow pointed at her heart moved as well to keep it on target.

Her mouth felt suddenly dry and she wanted to scream and yell for Inuyasha to save her. But instead she swallowed hard and took a deep breath. **"K-Kikyo, what can I do for you?"** She asked the older and very much dead woman with a half-hearted smile.

She couldn't help but think that it was just so wrong to see the woman in front of her smile with those dead emotionless eyes, it almost looked creepy and sadistic. **"Inuyasha invited me into the group, said that you just wasn't cutting it."** Came her lifeless, seething voice.

It felt as though someone had stabbed her in the heart, he had asked her to join? She wasn't doing well enough job in finding the shards, or was it her archery skills? He did always tell her about how she couldn't live up to Kikyo's skills after all. But she wasn't supposed to live up to it, she wasn't Kikyo, damn it!

She wanted to yell, curse, and just fall down crying as her heart finally finished breaking, it was the last straw. But the arrow trained in on said heart made her stand her ground. And a lie was formed. **"That's great. The more the merrier I always say. I'm sure we can find the shards ten times faster with you with us."** She told the woman, her voice a little shaky and words a little too quickly spoken. Was she losing her mind? No, she was trying to live, but as that smile from her clay face vanished she knew that it wasn't going to work.

**"Throw me your shards."** The voice sent chills down her spine and she froze for a moment. Kikyo was better than her, she couldn't reach for her bow and arrows, notch it, and fire in time before she would be hit with one herself. So she made a decision, if she could hold this out a little longer, Inuyasha would come for her.

Slowly she reached up to the vial around her neck and slipped the necklace off and held onto it for a moment. For a time she only stared at the clay woman in front of her. What if Inuyasha wasn't going to come? What if she was telling the truth, and not only that, what if he was okay with her killing her like this? She would have her soul back after all and he wouldn't have to worry about watching after weak little Kagome anymore.

What was she thinking?! Of course he wouldn't be a part of this. Even if he didn't love her, he was still her friend. He would come.

Finally she tossed the vile of shards over to the woman and watched them roll to her feet to stop in front of them. **"There. Now I could just go home, you can have them; you can be in the group and have Inuyasha. You don't have to do anything to me."** She tried to get through to the woman before her, but the scowl that crossed her face told her that she had said something wrong.

**"What do you mean I can have him?! I already have him. I don't need your say so for that."** She told her and Kagome eyes widened as she watched the arrow fly towards her, and she closed her eyes. But as she waited for the sharp pain she was sure would come with the arrow piercing her heart, it never came. Instead, she felt as the chill of the night was taken away. Had it been a dream? Was she going to open her eyes to find herself sleeping next to a camp fire, cuddled up to a snoring Shippo in her sleeping bag?

As she did open her eyes, she found that she was near no camp fire, but a raging forest fire that was happening all around her, almost in a perfect circle around her and spreading in towards her and out to consume the rest of the forest. She could try to jump over it, but it was spreading so fast she knew she wouldn't be able to get enough momentum to jump it all and would just burn quicker.

Looking out she saw Kikyo reaching down and taking the vile from the forest floor and tuck them into her sleeve before turning and walking away. It was only about a yard away, she could still see the woman as she leaned herself against a tree and her soul collectors took some rope and tied it around her and the tree, trapping her just before a fire started around her as well. What was she doing?!

She didn't spend to long looking at her though, instead she started looking around herself; there was no way to get out of this on her own. **"Inuyasha!"** She started yelling, calling for him at first, and looking around. But as the fires started to close in on her, the yells turned to screams, **"Please!"** and within a matter of a minute it turned to sobs and pleading to be heard and saved. **"Anyone…."**

And that's when she finally saw him, rush through the trees, a look of fear and worry across his face. **"Kagome!"** He called and looked around. **"Inuyasha!"** She yelled back, he was there to save her, she would be fine. She felt herself smile when he looked right at her, and then a sound caused both of them to look over to the dead miko tied to the tree who looked as though she had just woken and was coughing only to begin screaming. The flames weren't as close to her though, he would choose her over the clay pot, right? She watched him with pleading eyes but he looked right back at her then headed right for Kikyo and jumped though the flames to cut the rope with his claws and then jump away to safety with his dead love, leaving her there.

She was in shock, he had looked right at her, had saw that she was in danger, and still he had not chosen to save her. Could someone made out of clay even burn? She didn't know and she didn't plan to find out ether, not as the flames were only a breath away from her, licking out at her over heated skin. Her tears running down her panicked face as she tried everything she could to keep the flames as bay, even trying to stomp them out. But nothing seemed to be working. And finally, as the flames reached her and she started to feel the burning that made her scream out in agony, she couldn't help the thought that crossed her mind, that it turned out to not be as cold tonight as she had first thought when leaving the hut. It was a better thought to have in the end then the thought that she had been betrayed by the man she loved.

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~In a forest miles away a few hours later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

**"Rin! Get back here!"** Called a little green toad demon as his little legs struggled to run as fast as the young human child he was after, he was getting to old to watch after children. **"If Lord Sesshomaru finds out that you've run off like this he'll have my head!"** He squawked out, hoping it would stop the girl, and was relieved when the girl in fact stopped and turned to face him, though as he stopped before her and tried to catch his breath, he wished that she hadn't.

That look she was giving him, the little pout that always seemed to demand that she gets her way; it was a puppy dog look that for a human child could rival that of an inu pup. **"But Master Jaken, Rin just wants to go and pick the pretty flowers she had seen on the way to camp. She will be right back before Lord Sesshomaru even knows she was gone."** She told him as if it was the most obvious thing in the world before turning to start her small trek again.

He swore the girl could see flowers from a mile away; it was as if she had some power that sensed them long before they even came into view by himself and his lord, which was saying a lot. **"Rin, it's already dark, it doesn't matter how 'pretty' these flowers are, and there could be danger anywhere in these woods!"** He told her, and as if on cue, just mere feet in front of the young human child he was trying to persuade to come back to camp, something dark came stumbling out of the trees only to finally fall in front of them.

He had left them there no more than fifteen minutes ago to patrol the area, and yet as the stoic demon lord came into the clearing he had chosen for camp that night, the only thing there was his fateful steed, the two headed dragon by the names of Ah-Un who lazily lifted one of its heads to look at him, and as if reading his masters mind pointed its nose in the direction the others had gone.

Well he couldn't say that this was a new turn of events, it didn't happen often, but he guessed that being a child Rin did have lots of pent up energy that just built up as she would ride on the back of Ah-Un. And though she was completely loyal, she did give Jaken a run for his money sometimes by running off. But he could trust him to bring her back in one piece, and most likely with whatever it was she had left in the first place for. He sensed no demons around, all of them ether tucking in for the night or too afraid of him to try anything that would cause their death.

Walking over to a tree at the edge of the clearing so that he would be facing the way they would be coming back from he was just about to sit when a piercing scream floated to his ears and to the human eye, it was as if he had been there, and then he just wasn't as he rushed to the aid of his young ward.

It took no more than a few moment before he was standing in front of the child who seemed to be in shock at what she saw before her. He himself would never admit it, or even let it show on his stoic face, but he was a little surprised at what he found as well. Before him, covered in burns was a young woman. Her face didn't seem to be burned to badly, but the areas that wasn't chard black was reddened from the heat of a fire. Her cloths were burned almost completely off and her hair was singed and now only reached her shoulders.

The smell of burned flesh was so strong that he had no dought even the young human girl behind him could smell it. And while the faint sounds of a heart beat told him that the girl was not yet dead, it would not be long before she was, even if the burns themselves did not take her life, the infection that would set into them would. **"Is Lady Kagome going to be alright?"** His young wards voice could be heard from behind him, she sounded scared and saddened by what she saw.

It would seem that because of how badly she was burned, and the strong smell of it, he had not even noticed that this girl before them was in fact his hated half-brothers Miko. But with his trained nose he blocked out the over powering smells and was able to catch faintly the smell of the young woman.

Choosing not to answer Rin he simply turned away and back towards the camp. While he was curious of how the girl had gotten herself into that situation, and where his half-brother actually was, he could not be bothered with staying there a moment longer for a miko who was as good as dead. If she was lucky she wouldn't have to suffer long before a demon found her and ended the pain he was sure she was going through for her.

But as he started to walk away, he only heard one set of steps following his lead behind him. **"Lord Sesshomaru, we can't just leave her like this."** Came the soft voice of the child who would normally follow him without question. It seemed the girl was not able to do so this time though. Pausing he didn't turn fully to face her, but he did glance back, and in the place of her normal happy, gaped tooth, smiling face was a sad but defiant look.

**"Please Lord Sesshomaru, Rin doesn't want to leave Lady Kagome here. She's always so nice to her..."** She said, her voice breaking as she held back her tears. **"Silly girl! You can't expect my Lord actually to care if that human bitch dies or not!"** Came the squawking of his long time servant, Jaken. But even as he was speaking, said demon lord turned back to face the child and without a word walked back, passed the girl and after rolling the miko over onto her back used his one arm to lift her up and cradle her to him before again turning and walking away.

This time it was Rin who followed and Jaken who stood there gawking at his back. **"Jaken. Go get enough herbs for the burns to last at least a couple of days. I expect you back with it before dawn. Or you will be left here."** He informed his servant in his normal uncaring voice. Since Rin had started to come with them, he did have enough herbs for different things, but only enough for short term treatment, enough so that they could be used until they got back to the palace.

He could have simply brought the girl back, and let her die on her own. But while he wouldn't openly admit it, he wanted to please his ward; he wanted to make her happy. And while simply not leaving the miko there in the woods to die would have been enough, he never did things half assed. He always had to do everything to perfection. So if he was going to save her now, he was going to make sure she did not die so soon after.

Once he and his ward got back to their camp the girl was already running to Ah-Un and taking out a bed roll, and the leather sack that held all the herbs they had and after rolling out the bead roll he placed the miko down onto it. Once that was done he started to work quietly on making a paste out of the leaves that would best help to heal the burns and keep infection out. It wasn't until he was done putting the paste on all the miko's burns and wrapping her in bandages that he realized Rin had fallen asleep at the side of Ah-Un.

Standing he made his way over to a tree and sat down, closing his eyes. What was all this to bring to him? In the morning when Jaken returned he would start heading back to the palace where his healers would take over the care of the miko for the sake of his ward. But after that, what was he to do with the girl. Surly he could use her for something. His brother infatuation with her meant that he could use her to get the sword that should have been left to him in the first place. But as he looked at the young woman as she slept a restless sleep, he found that he also wanted answers.

For the life of him he couldn't figure out what had happened to her. Clearly she had been caught in a fire of some sort, but he smelled nothing nearby that had been set ablaze. Could it be that as injured as she is she had made it so far away from where she had been burned? And where was his brother, he had expected to at least smell the whelp some place nearby, but there was nothing. It would seem that there was no one even looking for the girl. So he decided right then and there, he would figure out what it was that happened, for nothing more than to sate his curiosity, and then he would hold the girl as a bribing stance to get what he wanted from his half-brother.

**AN:**

I hope that this was a good start to the story. Please let me know what you think, whether good or bad! And I'll try to have the next Chapter out as soon as possible!

And yes, I know, the great and powerful Lord Sesshomaru may be a little out of character at the moment, or at least I think him to be. But I'll chalk that up to this being my first experience with working with him and the fact that Rin really does have some pull over him with things. I'm going to try to get better at portraying him though.

If you see anything wrong in this story. Grammar, punctuation, or even some sort of direction I took that didn't seem right, please point it out! It will make any later chapters better and I can go back and fix things in the ones I already have up!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

**The Mystery of a Miko and the Curiosity of a Lord.**

As the sun started to rise and the sky started to change from the midnight blue to the orange and pink of early morning below stood a group of people. A white haired boy with puppy ears, that was at the moment pinned to his skull, a young woman made of clay with dead emotionless eyes, a dark haired man clad in black and purple with his arm around the shoulders of the young crying woman in a black and pink slayers outfit who was letting her tears fall freely in her sobs that she could no longer keep quiet. And on the ground, sitting in the black charred grass was a young fox kit whose big eyes, shining with tears stared around at the damage.

It was clear to everyone in the group that the young kit was only slowly starting to realize what was wrong with this picture. And they also knew that once it did sink in, there would be no way to control the child's cry.

Just about everyone was thinking the same thing; how could this have happened? Inuyasha had come to the hut with Kikyo who had passed out from the smoke and stress from being left like she had been in the fire. None of them really knowing which way Kagome had gone besides what Inuyasha could smell had been all on edge. Because from what he knew, she had gone to where the fire was, but once he was there he had lost her sent because of the over powering smell of everything burning. He had looked everywhere, but didn't see or hear her anywhere. Or so he had told the others.

The group had left right away through the woods to the flames, at least all but Inuyasha who refused to leave the side of Kikyo. But when they got there, there was no sign of Kagome even after putting out the flames, that they had determined it must have been set by a demon or witch because of the burn patterns. Just at the last moment did Inuyasha and Kikyo show up to help, and with a bit of information from the clay miko that told them that their fears was true, Kagome had been there, but by the time Inuyasha had come it had been to late.

The only thing that was found of her was a piece of her charred shirt only a couple yards from where he had saved Kikyo, and everyone in the group, couldn't help but wander in the back of their minds, how the Hanyou hadn't seen, heard, or smelled their friend, sister, and mother.

As they all stood there, letting their emotions get the best of them, it seemed that the young kit had finally put two and two together and his shining tear filled eyes looked to the back of Inuyasha's head and narrowed in anger and pain. He hadn't saved his mother! He had saved the woman who he had been running off to see while his Kagome waited for the day that he might realize that he loved her. While said other woman stood there as if she really didn't care at all.

Shippo lost it and everyone gasped as the fox kit leapt from his seated position and jumped onto Inuyasha's shoulder, sinking his tiny little baby fangs into his shoulder. Sango turned from Miroku's embrace at the sound of little growls and a yelp from Inuyasha to see that the kit has attacked him, and not only that, his eyes had bled red in his anger and hurt. "Hey you little runt! Get the hell off me!" Inuyasha's voice rang out just before he landed a swift punch to the top of Shippo's head, causing him to tumble forth and onto the ground.

Though he wasn't down long before he was up and looking to Inuyasha again, his eyes had only flashed back to green for a moment before turning back red. Sango had to wander why something like this was happening, Shippo was much too young for his inner demon to take him over like it was now, and she was sure that if it wasn't for his young age he would had transformed into his animalistic form. **"You killed mama!"** Came this kids growl; his words seemed forced, as if he wasn't sure how to put the words together to make a sentence.

Inuyasha took a step back, he couldn't really do anything to the kit, and he understood that it was instincts taking him over, but he couldn't just let him carry on ether. Sure he was no threat to him, but to the others he might be a little bit of one in this state. **"What you talkin' about runt? I ain't killed no one!"** He told him, he sounded just like he did when he would always get annoyed with the kit or with Kagome, did he even care that she was gone?

**"Killed mama! Killed what was MINE!"** The kits growl came just before he lunged for the half demon again. But he found that he never got to him, or hit the ground, and as he looked around, saw that Inuyasha had gripped him by the back of his shirt and was holding him out and away from him.

Sango felt sorry for the child as she watched him struggle to get out of Inuyasha's grip so that he could attack him. His face was angry, his eyes red, but there was tears streaming down his face. Stepping forward so that the kit would be able to see her she finally spoke up as she wiped away her own tears. **"Shippo... Shippo, look at me."** Her voice was soft and broken, she could now add a sister onto the list of people who had been taken from her, and she wanted nothing more than to go back to the hut and crawl into her bed roll and never come out. But Kagome had loved Shippo with all her heart, and for her, she wouldn't let the kit do this.

Shippo didn't pay her any attention at first, but finally he looked to the woman and saw that she was upset as well, and behind her was Miroku, though he wasn't crying, his demon senses could smell that he would simply holding back his own tears. His eyes flashed back and forth a few times before finally they stayed green, he went limp and he started to sob finally.

Walking over she took the child from Inuyasha to hold him close to her before turning and walking away, back the way they had come, she couldn't stay there any longer and she didn't want Shippo there any longer ether. Behind her she could hear the crunching of grass as Miroku followed behind her, both of them trying to console the kit and one another as he sobbed and continued to say, **"He let her die..."**

**~~~~~~~~Back with Lord Sesshomaru's pack~~~~~~~**

It was just after dawn and Rin was already settled on the back of Ah-Un and he was just about to pick the miko up to carry her when Jaken came running into the clearing. He seemed to be a little worse off than he had been when he had saw him that night; leave it to the little green toad demon to make a simple task for collecting herbs a harder one. **"Lord Sesshomaru! I got the herbs you requested!"** He squawked loudly and Sesshomaru resisted the urge to turn and shove his boot into his beak to quiet him down, but all it took was a glare of his golden eyes to have the same affect. He sometimes wondered if he was really a toad at all, he sounded more like a bird demon.

Now that everyone was there and ready he gathered his Youkai cloud under his feet and started to lift into the air with Ah-Un following his lead and the sound of a gasp followed by a , **"Don't leave me, my Lord!"** Signaled that he had not been ready and he only glanced back to see that he had grabbed onto the tail of Ah-Un and was hanging on for dear life. And as Jaken looked to the sack in his hands that the herbs was in he finally spoke up. **"Drop those herbs and you will also drop your head."** His voice was cool and calm as if he was saying that it was going to be a sunny day today and he hadn't even bothered to look long enough to see what his reaction would be, but the sound of a gasp let him know that he had heard him and that he would do as he was told.

As time went on the stoic lord remained silent as didn't even acknowledge the miko that he carried in his arm, it was as if she wasn't even there really. The only sounds that could be heard was from Jaken who was squawking at Rin, telling her to silence herself as she simply ignored him and continued her rather one sided game of 'I Spy'. **"Master Jaken, you're not very good at this game. We pass everything Rin names before you can guess it!"** She finally told him and watched as he seemed to puff up out of anger and his bulgy eyes seemed to pop out even more, if that was really even possible.

As this went on Sesshomaru finally had to look down at the girl he held. She was starting to move her head back and forth, a look on her face that told him of the pain she was feeling as she started to wake, and the smell of fear and sadness reached his nose. Without a word he spotted a clearing and went down to it, followed by the rest of his pack, it was getting about time to stop and let Rin have lunch and run around anyway.

**~~~~~~Kagome~~~~~~**

As the darkness started to fade and she started to hear things, she also started to feel things, things she didn't want to feel. First came the pain of her burned body, she didn't think there was any place that hurt more or less than any other part, it was all just a constant, terrible pain. Then came the flashes of her memory of why she was in this pain, even the way Inuyasha had looked at her before just forsaking her and saving a pile of soil and souls and leaving her there to die. She could only partially remember what happened after she started to feel the fire lapping at her skin; she could remember that pain very well, in fact, she wasn't sure if that pain would ever go away. Even now it felt as if the flames was licking at her inflamed skin.

As she got more and more desperate to live, as flashes of her family, her friends from both the present and the past, and finally of her adopted son, who she knew would be lost without her, she remembered that she was laying there, being burned alive and unable to do anything about it, and she finally lifted herself up and much as she could, not being able to stand, she crawled, she crawled thought the flames, the fire burning though her hands, arms, and legs as she did. She had used on arm to cover her face to keep herself from breathing in the smoke; she couldn't afford to pass out.

When she had finally made it out and away from the flames, she had a choice to make, she could go back the Edo, there her friends and son would be... Or she could go further into the woods. With what she had seen before and was told by Kikyo, she thought it best to go further into the woods, it would do no one any good to go back only to be killed. _'I'll come back for you Shippo.'_ She sent him the silent message that she knew he wouldn't even know about until she actually fulfilled that promise.

She remembered that she had been in a daze most of the time. Holding her hand over her own mouth as she went to silence her whimpers and the screams that she would swallow back down every time she would fall to the ground, into a tree, or the branches from the trees and bushes would scrape across her burned flesh. She also remembered, that just like now, she had felt hot, like she was still on fire even though she was miles away from it.

Time seemed to hold no meaning to her, she didn't know how long she had been running for when she finally heard the voices of someone, one she could feel was a demon, a low level demon, but a demon none the less, and she could faintly feel another power from the other party as she stumbled into the scene. She didn't even look to see who they were, if they were friendly or not, she couldn't. The thought that she may have made it some place close to a village since there was someone there was enough for her body to finally shut down.

Now that the sound of whooshing wind had stopped besides the light breeze in the air, she pulled herself out of her memories of the night before so start to figure out where she was now. Though she was greatly burned and most of her nerves were destroyed, she could still faintly feel that there was something under her back, it wasn't a floor, it felt like an arm, and her face was pressed into something soft, it had been her way of blocking it from the strong and cold winds, but what was it. It felt like silk, and under it was something hard. It wasn't until she started to notice that she could hear the steady rhythm of a heart that she realized she was being held by someone.

Pulling her face out of the silk she opened her eyes slowly despite the sun that was so bright to her it might as well have only been a few feet from her, that was until she felt herself shifting and soon her face was shaded from it.

Looking down at herself she saw what she looked like. Her burnt body was covered in bandages and on the edges of some she could see that there was some sort of sticky green paste on them. Her cloths was no longer on her form, she had known that most of them was burned off her, but she though that she still had enough to cover things that needed to be covered at least. Whoever this was must have taken them off her.

Instead there was something else wrapped around her hips and chest to cover her from the outside world, even if only that little bit. It was something long and fluffy white. It looked like a big boa and since she was still in much of a daze she found her hand moving until her fingers was running though it and could have sworn she felt whatever it was move under her as if it was arching up to be pet and a little smile came to her face.

**"Miko, I would suggest you do no touch it too much unless you would like it to move from its spot."** Came a cold voice just above her and she looked up quickly to see why the voice seemed so familiar and her eyes went wide at the sight. There, holding her was Inuyasha's evil half-brother. She felt the fear shoot though her and her first thought was to get away from him.

Placing her hands on his chest she pushed herself away from him, only to stop after only a moment as those hands flew to her mouth where she muffled a pained scream and tears prickled her eyes. Her body started to shake and she went limp before starting to shake her head. Even if she would be able to get away from him, she was sure she wouldn't even be able to stand, much less run or fight.

But she could try to make sure he at least did something for her before he killed her. After all, wasn't there some rule about final request before dying? She looked up at him, her eyes sad and held some fear, but she didn't act on that fear anymore. **"If you're going to kill me. Do it quickly."** She told him, her voice seemed broken, and not at all how he remembered it.

Any other time he had seen her she was strong and defiant towards him. She didn't show her fear as she just had. And when she didn't know he was around, when he would only pass by their little group without the intent of trying to attack Inuyasha, he saw that she was happy, a smile on her face as she would run around with that little fox kit or talk with the other pack members.

**"But before you do, I ask a request of you..."** She started, her voice still held sadness, but there was also something in it that made him actually listen instead of just taking off her head for daring to ask something of him when he had already saved her life. **"My kit, Shippo. I want him away from Inuyasha. So before you kill me, I just ask that you get him and find a nice home for him. He only has me, and I don't want to leave him in the hands of that half breed."** She explained to him, and as she had gone on, her voice went from a motherly love, which that alone he found strange, she had even said that it was her kit. But it had changed when she started to get to the end, about his half-brother, and what surprised him even more then her cold tone was that she had called him a half breed.

This was a girl who had never seemed to care what blood someone was, if they were human, demon, or half. She seemed to treat them all the same way. Just the fact that she was a human who had taken on the role of mothering a demon child was enough to show that, much less the fact she was a miko. But he could somehow see that she hadn't said that because of what he was, but because of whom he was, she had called him that just because it was Inuyasha, and he would probably never see the day when she would call anyone else that again.

**"This Sesshomaru will not be killing you today."** His cold voice came to her ears and she looked up at him as if he had grown a second head. **"Killing you now would only make my time spent bandaging you up and taking you to my palace a waste of time. And this Sesshomaru does not waste his time."** Was all he said to her. But it seemed as though he was going to question her about something when she looked away at the sound of someone else there.

At the edge of the clearing came who she recognized as the little green demon thing, she wasn't sure what he was really, and the young child that travels with Sesshomaru. **"Lady Kagome! You're awake!"** Called the little girl as she dropped the sticks she had been holding and ran to them, her arms held out slightly as if she was trying to take off like an airplane. **"Rin was really worried about you!"** She told her before going off into talking about a bunch of things that didn't really mean anything, but Kagome found herself smiling none the less.

**"Rin, help Jaken with the fire so that you may have your lunch. This Sesshomaru would like to speak with the Miko."** He said just as he would any time, didn't even raise his voice to try to speak over the child but it seemed she still heard him because a bright smile and she was running off to do as she was told.

Walking over to where Ah-Un was resting Kagome placed her hands over her mouth again as the demon lord shifted her until she was sitting up against the two headed dragon's side and he was knelt in front of her. His piercing golden eyes seemed to be searching though her very soul for whatever it was he was looking for. The minute that it took seemed to take hours.

**"This Sesshomaru would like to let you know that once you are healed, he will be taking you back to your pack in exchange for the Tetsusaiga."** He told her simply, he was an honorable demon lord; he would not lie to the miko before him because even if she didn't like it, there was nothing she could do about it. He had expected the shock, and maybe even the fear, but what he had not expected was for the tears that she held back and her words.

**"No! Please don't take me back there!"** She found herself blurting out and her eyes went a little wide when she realized what she had said and how desperate she had sounded. She didn't want to explain to him what had happened, and she was sure he wouldn't care anyway, so she just told him what she thought would make him change his mind about it. **"He won't give it to you for me anyway. He doesn't want me."** She told him, the last part had been said in a whisper but he had still heard it.

What he found strange was he smelled no lies on her. Sure he smelled that she was leaving things out, but she was not lying about the fact that his brother no longer wanted the miko. His eyes slipped down until they were slits and his face hardened a bit. **"Explain."** He bit out. He didn't like when his plans failed before he was even able to work them out completely.

She turned her head away from him and let out a ragged breath. **"I don't want to talk about it. But just know that he doesn't want me, he has Kikyo now."** She told him and that was all she planned on saying.

It was silent for a moment before she winced as his arm went around her again and he was lifting her to hold in his arm yet again and it was then that she noticed that Rin had finished her lunch and was only waiting for Sesshomaru to get finished. **"Come."** He said before starting to walk ahead, looking straight ahead and causing Kagome to feel completely ignored. It wasn't until he knew Rin and Jaken was on Ah-Un that he took to the skies.

He only knew a little about the dead woman, Kikyo, he knew of her and Inuyasha fifty years ago and he knew that she had been brought back by a witch of some sort. But other than that, he didn't know, and he hated not knowing things. Could it be that his younger half-brother was even stupider then he already thought him to be and really traded in a living breathing woman for one made a soil and who lived on the souls of other women who had died?

He didn't know, but he planned to find all this out. If he couldn't use her to get his father sword, he could at least use her to sate his curiosity. And he might not admit it, but he did have a lot of questions, not only about what had happened to the miko, but about her in general. She had always been so strange to him. The way she spoke, the way she dressed, he had even seen the girl reading before. She wasn't of royalty that he knew of, so how was it the woman could read at all? He would find all this out and more if he wanted, and when he got tired of her, he would simply kill her, or let her go.

**AN:**

Chapter two already out? I'm on a roll right now! That's two in less than a day. Well go ahead and read and review, the more reviews I get, the more excited I get about this whole thing and the quicker I get chapters out!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Distrust Among Friends and the Love of a Mother.**

The trip to the palace had gone much quicker once the miko had woken up. He could see the whole trip that she was in much pain, perhaps that was the reason for his slight rush. But of course that couldn't be it, it was simply because he was tired of getting his own hands dirty for the sake of a filthy human girl and the smell of her burns was starting to get on his last nerves. There was only so long that one could block out a smell that strong after all without blocking out everything, and for the safety of his ward, he couldn't block out everything.

But by night fall he was walking through the gates of his home in the west and right away was greeted by the head guard, an artic fox demon. He stood just as tall as his lord with long snow colored hair, pale white skin, a long swaying matching white tail, and large green eyes that shined with mischief. And by the head healer, who always greeted him there in case there was some wound she needed to tend to. She was a short and plump woman, the nose of a pig, her skin was a slight pinkish color as if she had been in hot water for too long, and as she stepped forward he could hear the muffled clacking of her hoofed feet.

Once the woman had obediently came to him and held her arms out he gently placed the finally sleeping miko into her arms. **"Make sure she is treated."** Was all he had to say before the pig demon bowed the best she could to him, and he heard the clacking of her hooves get louder and she walked away and started to walk on the wooden floors of the palace instead of the grass and dirt outside.

Once the woman was gone he looked back to his head guard who had been waiting quietly until he got his attention. When he caught his eyes he could see the amusement shining in them. Lord Sesshomaru had known him since he was but a pup, he had grown up with him and even played with him until they both got old enough to start being trained, he was trained to become the next lord, and the fox demon before him to take over his mother's position as the head guard of the west. And needless to say, this demon got away with more than what anyone else could. **"Well, my lord. It would seem that you are starting a little collection of human girls. This one a miko by the smell of it. I can only hope that she will be as entertaining as Lady Rin."** He said to him before looking back as said girl who had been woken by Jaken and was sleepily sliding off Ah-Un to look around.

It didn't take her long to realize where they were and who was standing before them and a bright smile lit up her face. **"Shoji!"** She cried as she ran up to the other male and wrapped her arms around his leg since that was the only part of him she could reach. **"Did you meet Rin's friend, Kagome? She's really nice!"** She asked the demon and he simply looked down at her with a smile.

**"Well she was sleeping, but I did see her. You'll have to formally introduce me when she gets better."** He told the young girl before reaching down and placing his clawed hands under the girls arms, mindful not to actually let the razor sharp claws touch her as he lifted her up and cradled her in one arm while the other rested on her knees to make sure her kimono didn't come open with the position she was in. **"But for now, I think it's past time for you to go to bed."** He informed her and cracked a smile as she protested sleeping with a groan, though he could see that she was already starting to drift off.

Looking back to his lord he gave a bow, a smirk lining his face as he came back up from it. **"I'll take Lady Rin to her head maid to get ready for bed while I try and think of who can be added to your little collection."** He told him before simply turning and walking away, a low, displeased growl following behind him.

Had it been anyone else Sesshomaru would have had their head, but not only was he a longtime friend, but he also wouldn't be able to find anyone half as good as him to replace him with. His skills almost matched up to his own... Almost.

**~~~~~~~~~~With the Inu Pack~~~~~~~~~~~**

**"What you mean ya'll ain't going'?"** Came the rather angry voice of a curtain dog eared hanyou.

A sigh could be heard from the monk in purple as the young slayer sent him a glare before picking up the sleeping Shippo and heading out of the hut. The child had been up all night and even though he was now asleep, it was well into the morning and he was still having problems with staying asleep. The last thing she needed was the hot headed Inuyasha to wake him.

Left behind was Miroku, Inuyasha, and to the disdain of all the group but Inuyasha it would seem, Kikyo. **"I mean, we won't be going Inuyasha. Sango, Shippo and I will be staying here in Edo."** The monk told him calmly but it seemed that it still got the half demon in a bunch.

**"We still have shards to collect! And Naraku is still out there someplace."** He told the monk as if he could forget about these things. He was suffering from Naraku as well, but that still didn't mean they would be going anywhere. And as for the shards... Giving a sideways glance at Kikyo, that suspicion came right back to his mind. She had Kagome's shards. She had 'found them' even though all of them had already looked for them and there had been nothing there. Not only that but the vile wasn't even blackened and burned, you would have to be stupid to think that they had actually been there in the fire.

But it seemed that Inuyasha bought it, which only made everyone more suspicious of him. But he hated to think that way. Kagome had been his friend to, the first person not to care about his blood and loved him for whom he was. **"It's only been a day Inuyasha. We know that the shards need to be hunted, and we know that Naraku needs to be killed, but it can all wait."** He tried to get through to him, to make him understand that it had been a huge loss to them, that is should have been a huge loss to him as well.

**"Fine, you guys stay here then, I don't care. Me and Kikyo will be fine hunting the shards on our own for a while."** He said, his anger clear in his voice and Miroku watched as said miko stood, grabbing her bow and arrows without a word, and followed Inuyasha out. Though the door he could see the undead woman take what used to be Kagome's spot on his back before they took off.

He let a heavy sigh leave his lips as Songo came in with a now awake Shippo, it would seem that she hadn't been able to get out of his ear shot and Inuyasha had still woken him up. The woman numbly walked over to where he was and sat down to his side, leaning against the wall and closing her eyes. None of them could understand why Inuyasha just didn't seem to care about what had happened to Kagome, that he could have saved her but didn't. Though Shippo had been the only one actually to say that, the others was very much thinking it as well.

**~~~~~~~~~~A Week Later in the West.~~~~~~~~~~**

It had been a whole week and Kagome was learning some things about herself. One of those things was her miko powers was great enough to heal her. It wasn't instantly, she still had burns, but most of them by now had changed for the ugly black charred look, to now looking pink and red. They didn't hurt as much anymore and from the spots that had already healed completely; she was seeing that there was few to no scaring. She was sure that by now she could walk around and just be active, and maybe even leave, but she didn't want to leave.

She didn't know where she would go. She hadn't seen her friends or her kit this whole week and she couldn't help but wonder about some things. Like had they looked for her? Or did they think her dead? Did they miss her? Was Shippo being taken care of? Did they all just accept Kikyo into the group without a second thought or did they fight it? Was they already moving on and looking for the rest of the shards without her?

These were all things that she didn't know, but she could hope. She could hope that Sango and Miroku were taking good care of Shippo. She could hope that they didn't think her dead and was looking for her. She could hope that while they didn't accept Kikyo that they were still doing what needed to be done. But again, these was things she didn't know and depressed her to think that everything could be the opposite of what she hoped for.

She had been moved from the sick rooms and into a guest room a couple days before and she hadn't left it. She would hardly even get up, when she was brought food she would pick at it and eat just enough to keep her living, but she was never really that hungry it seemed.

As a small knock came to the door she looked to it and used her miko powers to see who it was. This was a new thing for her, normally she would be happy to let whoever it was in, but what Kikyo and Inuyasha had done to her was fresh in her mind, and while Sesshomaru hadn't been pushing her to leave, in fact she hadn't seen him all week, she couldn't get the feeling that he might go to his brother and tell him to come to get her, and she didn't want that.

But she recognized the aura as that of what had become her personal maid and care taker who was waiting patiently outside the door for word that she could come in and forced a small smile to her face as she sat up so that she was leaning back on the wall. "Come in." She called softly and moments later the door opened to show a young woman who looked about her own age. She had learned when she first met the girl that she was a mouse demon, and just as one would think, she was small, though she looked to be about 16 or 17 she was no bigger than a child really, with a long black tail that swayed behind her as she walked.

**"Lady Kagome, Lord Sesshomaru would like to have a word with you."** She informed her and Kagome nodded as she started to get up off the floor only to be helped up by the small demon. She couldn't help the worry that passed through her. Maybe he was tired of her being there and thought she had healed enough to leave. She didn't want to over stay her welcome, after finding out that it was him who had saved her she was grateful, but she also didn't want to leave just yet, she still didn't know what she was going to do.

But she didn't state her fears as the girl lead her out of the room and down the hall and she was thankful that she seemed to walk slowly for her sake, because she did still feel the pain and the last thing she wanted was to have to rush.

**~~~~~~~~~~Sesshomaru~~~~~~~~~~**

As he felt that the miko was getting closer as he looked over a scroll he placed it down and folded his hands together on his desk, it could wait, it was only a letter from one of the lords announcing that his son was about to be mated and that he wanted him and his pack to be there. While he really didn't care about his son being mated, it was his job to go anyway. After all they had an alliance at the moment, even with the name calling from their side.

**"Enter."** He called out before the little mouse demon could even knock and soon the door slid open and in she came, with a quick bow to him she stepped out of the way and let Kagome walk in. After a bow to her the mouse demon walked back out, closing the door behind her.

The first thing he noticed as he gestured to the seat in front of his desk was the fact that her normal sent was coming back, while the scent of her burn skin was lesser, and looking her over in the kimono that he had gotten for her stay there he could see that she was doing much better, though he had already been told that so that wasn't the reason behind him calling her into his office.

Kagome walked over to the seat and slowly sat herself down, mindful not to do it to fast or else she would hurt herself. **"You wished to see me?"** She asked him and waited quietly for his answer; thought the silence was something that always killed her. Couldn't he just take out these long pauses?

He watched her for a moment in silence, just trying to get the answers he wanted from her without actually asking her anything. But he soon found that was going to be impossible. While a week ago he could have done this, now it would seem that she had a mask that could rival his own, with a little work that is. Some things still came though, like her aggravation with the silence, but right now that was it.

**"This Sesshomaru wishes to know more about what happened to you. You have made it clear that you do not wish to be taken to my half-brother again, and in the condition that I found you in, I have my suspicions, but I would like to hear it from you."** He explained to her and watched as her mask seemed to break before him. He could see and smell all her emotions and it actually made his head spin a little, how someone could have so many at one time was beyond him. He could see the fear and sadness on her face, and in her smell in the back he could smell a growing anger and hurt.

Kagome was at a loss though, she hadn't wanted to tell him anything, but in the past week, all that he had done for her, how could she really tell him no? After a few moments she let her gaze drop to her lap and she let out a sigh.

**"Kikyo tried to kill me, told me that Inuyasha wanted her to join the group and didn't want me around anymore. I thought she was lying."** She told him and paused for a moment and he could almost see the scene playing out in her eyes. "I don't know how she did it, but she was able to light a fire all around me, so big that I couldn't get away from it as it got closer and closer to me. And I screamed and called for Inuyasha, and he came." She said, a small sad smile coming to her lips as she let out a hollow laugh.

**"He came and looked right at me, as the flames reached out to me, and then he just turned away, grabbed Kikyo, and left me there to die."** Her voice was border lining a hiss at the end and he raised a brow to her. For some reason, he had given his half-brother a little more credit than that. He had watched him save this girl so many times, even taking his arm the first time. And yet he had chosen to let her burn while he saved a woman that was already dead? He couldn't help but feel angry; it seemed that his brother was always finding ways to bring shame to their family name.

He could smell her anger rising, and with that, hate started to bleed, hate for the dead woman, hate for his brother, and for some reason, that disturbed him. He hadn't never known this woman before him could feel hate towards anyone. Anger, yes, he had seen her angry, namely at him or his brother. But hate was never there even then. He found himself wanting to change the subject to take that smell away. Normally he loved the smell of hate, but on her it was not a pleasing sent.

**"And what of the other pack members? The monk, slayer, and kit?"** He asked her and watched as her emotions changed in the blink of an eye and she looked up to him.

**"I don't know. I didn't see them; I don't even think they knew it was happening."** She told him before she got a faraway look.

She had thought of them often, but for some reason it wasn't until now that one little thought came to her head. If Kikyo was willing to kill her, what was to stop her from harming her friends... Or her kit? No! That was one thing she would not stand for! She could have the shards, she could have Inuyasha, and while she wouldn't want her to harm her friends, she knew they could take care of themselves just fine. But her kit, her baby, her Shippo. The thought of that woman being anywhere near him was enough to etch worry and hate into her very soul.

As she came out of her daze he smelled it, where had he smelled that sent before? That's right, every demon mother he had ever known who had a pup in danger. But why would a sent like that be coming from this human woman? Sure human women cared for their children too, but they were not nearly as aggressive about watching after their young as he found demonesses to be.

Suddenly she stood up and looked to him before bowing. She still didn't know what she was going to do, but she knew that she needed to get to Shippo and her friends. **"I thank you for all that you have done for me Lord Sesshomaru. If you ever need anything, though I'm sure you will not from a lowly human such as me, please find me and let me know. But I have to go; I can't leave my kit with them for a moment longer."** She informed him and without waiting to be dismissed turned and left the room.

He watched her go and though he had found out the story of what had happened, he found himself even more interested in the miko. Who was this woman who would rush out of here in hopes of saving a demon child that wasn't even really hers'. Where had this woman even come from? And if all that wasn't strange enough, she pledged her alliance to him, even if she didn't know that, she had.

Letting out a frustrated growl he stood up to go after her. He had gotten what he wanted from her, but now he wanted, no, needed more. He would go with her to get her friends and kit. It would give him a change to see the story unfold and hopefully give him a chance to learn more about this infuriatingly confusing woman.

**AN:**

Review Reply's:

**XxShadowfangxX:** I know what you mean, I felt bad while I was writing it. He's so cute it's hard to put him in situations like that.

**LoveInTheBattleField** and **Veraozao**: Thanks so much for the support! I'll try to keep the chapters coming quickly, not only for you guys, but hell, I wanna see what happens next too!

**Morgan**: I'm happy that you enjoy it and I thank you so much for your thoughts on it. But Sesshomaru dose in fact call himself 'This Sesshomaru' He doesn't flat out speak in third person like Rin, but he does a little bit. It's actually my thoughts that it might be where Rin got her speech problem from, wanting to be like someone she looks up to and everything. But I might have done it a little too much, I'll look back and make sure that I didn't accidentally flat out make him speak in third person and try to keep it to a minimum when I can.

You guys are just the greatest, you know that? I loved the reviews and I'm looking forward to hearing more of what you guys think as it goes on.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**The Fall of a Pack Leader and the Trust of a Child.**

Kagome didn't know why she had just been feeling sorry for herself before, maybe it was the fact that she had been alone before with no one to talk to about what had happened to realize that there was a chance that something else could be going wrong with her friends and her kit. But whatever it was, she would have to thank Sesshomaru for breaking her out of her funk, even if he didn't mean to, or if he didn't know what a funk was.

As she found her way out of the palace grounds and saw the front gate closed she started her way to the two guards that were standing there. **"Let me out, I have to go."** She told them, she wasn't being rude, and she wasn't trying to be demanding, but she had to go and make sure her kit was alright.

The two men looked to one another and then back to her. They didn't know the story, they only knew that their lord had brought her here and they had heard nothing about letting her out. **"I'm sorry, my lady. But without word from..."** He was cut off when a tail man with long white hair and a flowing white tail jumped down in front of her. She had almost thought it was Sesshomaru at first, but she quickly realized that this man's hair was white, not silver, he had a tail, not a moko-moko, and instead of piercing golden eyes starring at her it was eyes that looked just like her kits, the most beautiful greens with happiness shining in them and a smile to watch it.

**"Boys, Lady Kagome is a guest, not a prisoner."** He told the two men behind him, his voice was calm, not angry or cold. And his eyes never left her own. But she couldn't help but notice that the two men stiffened in his presence before giving a couple of yes sirs and starting to open the gates enough so that she would have plenty of room to get though.

She didn't leave right away though as the man started to speak to her then. **"Lady Kagome, I hope that my lord hasn't sent you running for the hills already. I understand he can be rather prudish at times."** He started, his voice kind and playful and every time she looked to his eyes she remembered her son.

She couldn't help but to smile, it was almost like his was as contagious as the plague. **"Please, just call me Kagome."** She told him, she had been trying all week to get everyone to drop the whole lady thing, she was not a lady by a long shot, just a simple shrine maiden. **"And no, Sesshomaru... I mean, Lord Sesshomaru has been most kind, but I can't stay any long, I have to go and get my son."** She informed him with a little smile and almost laughed at the shocked look that came over his face.

**"You may call me Shoji then Kagome. But I must say, I'm rather surprised to hear that you have a son. I saw no ring our mating mark on you so I just assumed..."** He was going to say he assumed her single but she held up her hand to silence him, shaking her head a little with a chuckle.

**"I'm not married or mated, my son is an orphaned fox demon kit named Shippo."** She explained to him, but it only served to confuse the demon a little more.

**"Kagome, am I to believe that a not only a human, but a human miko had taken on the role of a mother to a demon child?"** He asked her. It was just unheard of. He had expected her to wake up screaming and trying to purify every demon there when his lord had brought the girl, but she had been nice and friendly to all of them as if they wasn't meant to be enemys. And now here she was saying that she had taken in a demon kit, not only a demon, but a fox demon, one of his own.

Kagome simply nodded to him. **"Yes, his father was killed by a couple of demons known at The Thunder Brothers. I first met him when he tried to take the jewel shards I had so that he could take revenge. He was so young and lost, so even after we helped him take his revenge, I had him stay with us, I could see letting a child so young out into the world by himself. If any humans came across him he would have been an easy kill. And it didn't take to long really before we started to associate one another as mother and son." **She explained to him without going into too much detail and watched as some of the confusion left his face to be replaced by wonder and thanks. A human woman taking in a demon child in this day and age, it was crazy, humans wouldn't think twice before calling her a demon lover and trying to attack them both. SHe must have been very brave.

**"But I really have to get going, It was nice to meet out Shoji, I hope I get to see you around sometime."** She told him before bowing to him and starting to walk to the opened gate. **"I hope that as well, and I would like to see this kit of yours some day. When he gets to the age of training bring him to me!"** He called to her, and she shot him a thank you before tuning from him to leave.

Though she didn't make it more then two feet before she heard the cold voice of Sessomaru. **"Miko." **He called and causally walked up to her. He had seen and heard the exchange between her and his head guard and it would seem that the miko made friends wherever she went, he had never heard Shoji offer to train anyone, much less a child he had never met.

**"You do not really expect to be able to travel the distance, fight of lower demons, and get to you kit in your condition with not weapon of any kind, do you?"** He asked her, his mask firmly in place as she looked at him. Had she been a stupid person, she would say that he was worried for her safety, but with the way he was looking at her, she felt more like a child being scolded and put her head down a little trying to come up with an answer. **"This Sessomaru will go with you to get your kit, and then you are to return here until you are well enough to defend yourself."**

This had caught her off guard completely and had opened her mouth to ask him why he would be doing this for her but as if he had read her mind he spoke again. **"I've told you once that I do not waist my time. Letting you go on your own now would simply get you killed and this whole week would have been waisted."** He told her and just then Jaken came up behind him with Ah-Un. **"Here you go my lord, where are we going?"** The little green demon asked him with big hopeful eyes.

But those hopeful eyes quickly turned to tear filled ones. **"You are to stay here with Rin. If something was to happen to her, you would forfeit your life to me."** He informed him before taking the reins in his one hand and leading the two headed dragon closer to the miko and Shoji and with one look Shoji turned to her and lifted her up by her waist and sat her down on Ah-Un.

Kagome was a little to shocked by this whole thing really to say much of anything as the two demons spoke about Shoji going with them in case of any problems. She could see Shoji, though she didn't really know him well, taking an interest in this and insisting on coming, but for Sesshomaru to be doing this, and not only agreeing to come, but instead of making her walk had gotten Ah-Un just for her. As she sat there and waited for them to depart she pat the heads of the dragon, letting a little smile on her face as they both seemed to be in heaven from the scratches behind the ears.

As they set out, Sesshomaru was acting like his normal quiet self, he was ignoring that she and Shoji was even there and Shoji had taken the job of leading the beast though the forest. But she was thankful for Shoji, after only a couple on minutes to seemed that the demon could no longer keep quiet. And it was actually something Sesshomaru was thankful for and the reason he had him come along. Perhaps he would get more answers out of her this way, and without even opening his own mouth.

**"So Kagome. Why was your son, Shippo was it?"** He asked and waited for her to nod before continuing. **"Why was Shippo not already with you?"** He asked her. She was silent for a little bit and he watched as emotions flashed across her face.

**"One of my oldest friends from this time..."** She paused for only a moment to try and come up with a way to fix that. **"This time in my life betrayed me with a woman who has been dead for the past fifty years and who I am the reincarnation of. Shippo or none of my other friends knew anything about it, and I couldn't go back the the village at the time or I'm sure I would have been killed." **She explained to him and both demons caught on to her little slip of the tonge, though nether of them knew what it meant, and to the annoyance of Sessomaru, Shoji didn't ask anything about it.

**"Wow, isn't 50 years a little short for a reincarnation to be born? I always thought something like that took hundreds if not thousands of years." **Kagome seemed to be a little taken back by that question. She had been so used to dealing and talking to humans who didn't know much of anything in this time, that she hadn't even thought about how she would answer something like that. **"And how did he batray you for a woman who is already dead?" **He added onto it when he saw her nervousness. He wasn't going to make her answer anything she didn't want to or couldn't.

**"A witch brought her back with ashes and graveyard soil, and she took part of my soul but not all of it."** She said, choosing to ignore the other question because she couldn't really answer it without telling them about how she was from another time.

To Sessomaru, the conversation died there, the two of them was still talking, but about things he already knew about, so as he walked he just thought about what she was hiding from them.

**~~~~~~~~Edo~~~~~~~~**

Had it really been over a week already? Inuyasha hadn't come back to the village since he had left and they was fine with that, for they still was not ready to set out as of yet. The quiet little village did little to calm their raging emotions and the more time they thought about it, the more they found themselves blaming Inuyasha.

And poor little shippo, no matter how much the two humans tried to care for him, and they was doing a very good job at it, they had yet to be able to get him to do the things he used to, like run around and play, or even smile for that matter. They had even brought out one of his coloring books and the things Kagome had called crayons but they realized to late that it had only reminded him of Kagome who would playfully demand a picture and watch him as he colored and drew.

The kit hadn't even said anything after accusing Inuyasha of killing her. He was just quiet. And it only served to break the slayer's and monk's heart even more. Then had even often found him sitting on the edge of the well as if he hoped that she would just come though it and they would find out that she had gotten away and went to her own time to be treated.

Thats where they found him again today as they walked into the clearing. His face stained with tears as he looked over to them, but stiffened when he smelled a couple of people he didn't want to, and as if on cue Inuyasha can bounding thought the trees with Kikyo on his back and once he stopped he let her slide off.

Before any of them could really say anything to each other Inuyasha started to sniff the air, followed by Shippo who still said nothing but simply looked out to the other side of the clearing towards the went as Inuyasha started to growl. **"Sessomaru."** He said and everyone there tensed up and readied their weapons expecting a fight, but truth be told, the two humans wasn't even sure if they wanted to get into this fight, it was Inuyasha's after all. they had only done it out of habit.

And as the demon lord of the west made his appearance thought the trees, no one seemed to notice how Shippo's eyes went wide as he caught the scent of someone he thought he never would again. Even Inuyasha was to focused on his brother to see it. But as he stopped a few yards from them, another demon came out from the trees, this one a fox demon of some sort, leading in the two headed dragon they had all seen before, but instead of Jaken or the little human child being on the back...

**"Mama!"** Everyone looked to Shippo for a minute when he finally spoke for the first time since they had thought Kagome had died. As the kit jumped up to run to his mother who was already sliding off the back of Ah-Un with tears being held back in her eyes as seeing her son safe and sound Inuyasha stepped forward and grabbed the kit but the back of his shirt, lifting him off the ground so that he couldn't run to her as he looked from Kagome to Sessomaru with a scowl.

**"What kind of game are you trying to play this time Sesshomaru?"** He yelled at his brother as Kikyo pulled an arrow in her bow back and aimed it at the demon lord in question.

**~~~~~~Kagome~~~~~~~~**

She couldn't describe the feeling of seeing Shippo sitting there wide eyed with tears filling them as he saw her. Seeing that he was safe and had been taken care of, but also knowing that when she left here she would have him with her.

But all that was crushed in a matter of seconds when she watched Inuyasha snatch him up and completely ignore that she was even there to speak to Sessomaru. Looking around she saw happy and relived smile and tears in the eyes of her friends, but even they soon looked shocked at Inuyasha.

Looking back to Inuyasha and Shippo her heart broke as she watched her hit dangling in his claws, trying to get out of his hands and get to her and soon the tears that he had turned from happy one, to desperate ones. **"Inuyasha! Let me have my kit!"** She called to him, she had meant for her voice to sound stronger, but instead it sounded broke and lost, it sounded like a mother worried for her son to the demons on her side and her two friends.

But Inuyasha just glared at her for a moment before looking back to keep his eyes on his evil brother. **"Don't be stupid Shippo, he did this same thing to me before. Do you really think Kagome would willingly be with him?"** He asked the kit but soon was dropping him to the ground at he finally got in a position and bit Inuyasha's hand.

The moment he hit the ground he took off running to her and all Kagome could do was drop to her knees and hold her arms out to him, ignoring the pain it caused her as he slammed himself into her, and she held him tightly to her as tears of relive finally fell from her eyes as they closed.

Being this close to her Shippo took in deep breaths of her and smelled noting bad about her, she smelled just like she always had besides the fact he could smell the burns, but even that told him that she was really his mother. **"I thought you where dead."** Came his sobs and all she could do was hold him tighter to her in an attempt to not only prove to him that she was alive, but to prove to herself that she was as well.

**"You bastard! What are you doing here and what's the point in bringing that?"** He asked him angrily pointing to where Kagome was kneeling at and she looked up at him, her eyes wide. He was smarter then that right? He knew that it was her, did he really think that she was dead? Or was it just wishful thinking? Perhaps he was just wanting the others to believe that.

As he pulled out his sword and it changed to it's great fang and looked to Miroku and Sango. "**Come on, we can't let them have Shippo."** he told them when they didn't get ready for battle. The looked at him and then back to where Kagome was and back to him again. Was it that this really was a trap?

**"Sango, Miroku. It's her! Inuyasha's lying!"** Shippo called over to them, making them look to him again and they could see in his eyes that he was telling the truth. Before they could even move though it was Inuyasha that spoke up, looking at her.

**"Kagome? Are you really alive?"** He asked, his ears down as he stared at her and as she stood up she gave one nod to him and watched as a smile lit his face. He was quiet for a moment as if he was trying to think of something to say. **"Well then come on, since you're not dead we can all start hunting for the shards again."** He said but then a confused look came over his for a moment when she looked at him as if he had gone crazy and hurt clouded her blue eyes.

She held onto Shippo as if she needed him to keep herself from flying away and she shook her head and backed up a could of steps so that she was back behind Sessomaru, and Shoji stepped to the side of him so that they was both blocking the half demon from her. A growl could be heard as Inuyasha's eyes landed back on his brother. **"What did you do to her?"** He spat out, pointing his blade at him.

**"This Sessomaru has done nothing to her little brother. I thought you had already done enough to last her a life time. I simply brought her to get her family."** He said in his normal cold voice and didn't even watch to see his reaction before looking to the two other humans in the group. **"The miko will not be coming back to the group, and from the smell of your dout, I think you know why."** He said before turning his back on his brother and starting to walk away, Kagome looking to her friends for a moment before looking to Inuyasha and Kikyo standing side by side, and she felt a stab of her heart and turned away.

Miroku and Songo only had to look to one another once and then back to there their friend was going before making their decision. Between what they had all been thinking thought he week and now the way Kagome had acted in front of Inuyasha, then knew he had forsaken her and soon they found themselves walking to way the others had gone as Inuyasha called to them to come back, but Kirara simple transformed and after going to the hut to get their things along with Kagome's yellow bag, went to catch up with the demon lord and their friend, never once wondering why the demon lord was allowing them to follow.

**AN:**

Thanks for the Reviews guys! People wanted more Shoji so you'll be getting more Shoji! I haden't really known how much of a main character I wanted him to be but after seeing that people liked him I had to give him a major role in this whole thing. So get used to him becuase he's here to stay!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**The Infatuation with a Miko.**

The trip back had been rather quiet the demon lord as seen. He hadn't known what to expect when he was taking the little miko to see them. Maybe a happy chatty reunion? But defiantly not this. The whole way back was spent with the monk and demon slayer following behind them, cautiously, they seemed not to want to say anything around him, which he found that he understood. They feared him, and they should. They should be thankful that he had allowed them to come with them in the first place.

But he reminded himself it was only until the miko left herself. Though still he had only been expecting the kit to be coming back with them. Even now said kit seemed to be much more comfortable in Kagome's arms as he sleeps then the others. He had even chatted with the human woman, who he found actually called her his mother.

Finally though they got to the gates that were already opened for them to enter and as they made it to the court yard he looked back to see that all the humans in the group looked rather tired. They had walked all day and it was now well into the night. In the slayers arms was the fire demon in its kitten form napping after having carried the two humans during the day, and said two humans looked at though they were going to sway and fall to the ground, yet still stood strong. On the back of Ah-Un was the confusing little Miko and the fox kit, both had fallen asleep no more then a hour before and he was surprised that she had been awake even that long, knowing that her wounds was still hindering her greatly.

Again he was greeted by the healer, a guard who had taken over while Shoji traveled with him, and soon one of the maids came out from the front entrance of his palace. **"Find two suitable rooms for the Miko's pack near her own."** He instructed the little mouse demon who had really only came out there for Kagome but quickly bowed to him before rushing off to prepare the rooms.

**"Lord Sessomaru. There is no need. We can make a camp some place to wait..."** The monk was soon cut off by the cold emotionless look of the demon lord, it was really all that was needed before he bowed to him. **"Thank you for you hospitality."** He told him before standing back up again.

Sango watched as the demon, fox by the looks of it, went from the front of the two headed dragon where he had been leading him to the side and with such ease reached up and plucked their friend and Shippo off it's back to cradle her in his arms with the kit cradled in her own, is seemed even in her sleep she was not ready to let him go just yet.

It was at that time the small woman from before came back out with a smile to them both, but seemingly ware of them at the same time. **"I have your rooms ready if you would come with me."** She told them before turning and the two, after seeming to take a moment to figure out if it was really a good idea to leave and let Kagome out of their sight after just having learned that they had not lost her was a good idea or not, finally followed to be shown to their rooms where they would get what little sleep they could as the little mouse demon explained to them different things they would need to know and do while staying there.

Sango for one wasn't sure if she would even know how to get from one place to another in the large place. By the time they got to the rooms she didn't even know if she could find her way back, as she looked at her purple clad companion though he didn't seem phased in the least. **"Lady..."** The mouse demon trailed off and Sango quickly looked back at her and gave a little smile. **"Just Sango please."** She answered her and watched as the small woman's head tilted to the side.

**"Lady Sango, this will be your room."** She told her as she opened the sliding door for her. She didn't understand these people, even Lady Kagome had insisted that she not call her by a title of any kind, she had thought that maybe she had hit her head along with the burns she had gotten, but it seems that even her pack was like this. She for one wouldn't be able to call them as they please for fear of punishment from her lord, or anyone who could visit and over hear her calling them by just their names.

She looked to the man then, a monk, why was it that her lord was bringing in these humans, and not just any human's, all of them was known for their hate of demons, and yet these, even Lady Kagome, seemed to be so nice. **"Miroku."** She was informed by him, and she gave him a light bow before walking just across the hall and opening that door. **"This room is yours. And Lady Kagome's room is that one right there."** She informed them both as she pointed about three doors down the hall on the right to an already opened door. **"Breakfast will be one hour after sunrise, I shall be sure to wake you so that you can get ready and show you there. And if you need anything just call me, I'll hear you. I'm Shizuka, by the way."** She said before turning and disappearing around a corner.

**~~~~~~~~The Court Yard~~~~~~~~~**

Turning to his friend and head guard he noticed that he had already taken the liberty of taking the Miko and her kit, and having someone take Ah-Un to the stables. Sessomaru had dismissed the healer and guard , and with the stable hand fading away with the two headed dragon he walked over to Shoji. "You could have waited. This Sessomaru was going to get someone to take her to her room." He informed him and watched as the fox demon looked down at the sleeping girl before looking back to him with a grin.

**"Not on your life. I'll take her to her room. No way would I let many of these people around here anywhere near her while she sleeps."** He said before taking a deep breath though his nose and taking in the sent of the woman in his arms. **"Get the wrong one's around her and you will be asking for trouble with her being not only human, but a miko, not to mention with all the demons with such strong noses that you have working here and this delicious scent. Plus she's not bad to look at. Ether you are going to have people who hate her, or who like her a little to much, and I personally wont have it."** He informed his lord before turning to the palace to take her to her room, it shouldn't be hard to find, just find the one in the guest quarters that match that perfect smell of her's.

As he walked though the halls he couldn't help but look down at the woman in his arms. She really was rather beautiful. Her dark hair, which while short it still looked good on her, though he knew that was only from the fire she had been in and just picturing her with what he guessed her hair used to look like, he could say that she looked good ether way. Those closed lids also hit the shining blue eyes that was rare to find in humans, most having varying shades of brown. Her body held against his seemed just perfect as well, she was so small but at the same time, she wasn't to small. She was perfect for his own frame.

He quickly looked up and away from her as he noticed where his train of thought was going... What was his problem! He had been thinking such things every since he had first seen her when Sessomaru had came in with her tucked in his one arm. It had to be her scent. She smelled like no other he had ever seen. Most humans seemed to smell of death all the time, because they was after all mortal. But she didn't have that smell about her, it made him wonder just how human she really was. Her scent was something he really couldn't even place, it was a sweet smell, maybe honey?

As he made it to her room he entered and used his foot to slide the door closed to cut off everything from the outside. Walking over to the large bed, most of these rooms didn't have beds like this, so he assumed that it had been moved into there from one of the master bedrooms. Shifting her a little bit he got the use of one of his arms and pulled the blanket back from the bed before bending to gently place her on it, lingering for a moment with his nose so close to the top of her head that he could almost feel her hair tickling it as he took in a deep sniff of her, he wanted to figure out what that sent was. He finally let her go and stood back up but held in that scent for a moment while he covered her up, minding not to pull the blanket up to far so that it didn't go over the kits head.

Yes, it was defiantly honey, such a soft scent, it wasn't over powering like most things could be, but at the same time, no mater what else was on or around her it was strong enough to be found with ease. Reaching a clawed hand to her face her brushed her hair away to get a better look at it, being careful that his claw only faintly touched her. His face had lost it's normal grin and instead it was one of concentration and confusion. What exactly was this woman? Even from their talks he hadn't figured to much about her out, in fact she seemed to avoid any question about herself. He wasn't sure if that was because of the fact that she though of others above herself and so though they would be a more interesting topic then herself, or she was hiding something. But he would figure it out.

Finally he turned and left the darkened room, opening and then closing the door behind him, he could only hope that Sessomaru was just as curious about this woman so that he would get to see a lot of her. For some reason, he didn't want to be to far from her, the answers to the questions he had, or her scent that seemed to both calm him and drive him mad at the same time.

**~~~~~~~~~~~The Next Morning~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Just as the sun was rising and Shoji had gotten himself ready for the day, he got word that Sessomaru had wished to see him in his study. AS he made his way from his room in the soldiers quarters to where his lords study was, he couldn't help but be nervous. Not out of fear that Sessomaru thought he did something wrong, but because this could be him telling him that there was something that needed to be taken care of someplace else, or that the North needed reinforcements against something, or just anything that would mean him leaving the palace and leaving the little miko who he had already decided he didn't want to be to far from.

After a light knock on the door he didn't have long to wait, **"Enter."** was heard as he quickly opened the door and stepped in, closing it behind him and getting in front of the desk before giving him a shallow bow. **"What can I do for you, Sessomaru?"** He asked him, he was completely serious no smirk or anything, this was business and that was how it was going to be treated. After being told to have a seat he did just that.

**"Shoji, last night you brought a couple of really good points to this Sessomaru's attention."** Sessomaru started but stopped when he caught the confused look cross his face. It didn't surprise him really, after all he had not formally raised a complaint about it, he had only said it as a statement, not as something that needed to be fixed and taken care of, so he elaborated. **"Last night before you took the miko to her room. You said that you wouldn't trust many of the servants with her."** He said and watched as the realization dawned in his eyes.

**"Oh, yes, I remember that, but what is this about?"** He asked, he seemed completely calm on the outside, but on the inside he was raging and he didn't know why. Maybe it was because whatever it was had to to with Lady Kagome and for some reason he didn't like that he didn't know right then what Sessomaru was thinking about the girl, how long she would be there, or if she would even live to see the time when she would leave.

**"As I said, you brought up a couple of good points. While I will not let those who work against me in, I can not read the minds of everyone here. And having a miko, monk and demon slayer in a place full of demons could cause them to think of betraying my wishes and harm of of them."** He said, but as he thought on what he had said, he noticed that he had left out what Shoji had said about her scent and looks. But he felt it below himself to even notice such things about a human girl, at least out loud. But inside he knew he was right about that too, and while he did not believe in the mating of human and demon, there was many on his staff that did. And he wouldn't have anyone tying to mate with the miko.

Though he didn't completely understand why the thought of it caused him to make that decision, he could say that he cared. There was a few there that had human mates, that went on to have half demon pups, and he didn't care one way or the other. But the thought of someone trying to become mates with the miko somehow bothered him. He would just chalk it up to the fact that he was thinking more long the lines of forced mating, and not only was the miko in his protection right now and for something like that to happen would be a blow to his honor, but it was also against the law of demons so he would not have such things happening under his own nose.

**"I have already assigned a personal guard to the other members of her pack. And after yesterday I saw no better person to assign to the miko and her kit."** He informed him.

Shoji was shocked at first, Sessomaru had called him in here to become to temporary personal guard to Kagome? It seemed silly for someone to put their top guard in charge of watching a simple human woman and a fox kit. And had he been someone else, he was sure he would have complained about having to do something that many would think beneath them and their skills. But not him, as soon as it sank in a grin crossed his face. He didn't know his lords reasons behind it, but this was perfect for him! He would always be in the presence of the miko known as Kagome, always have that scent around him, filling him, and he would have all the chances in the world to learn about her. **"Of course, Sesshomaru. I'll do my best."** He told him.

He waited to be dismissed before leaving and making his way to the guest quarter and to the room of the woman who he would be looking after. It seemed that other two humans had already left to go to breakfast as he made it there and just in time to see her walking out of her room and look around. She was in a long flowing kimono that was light blue and white and looked to be a bright sky with fluffy clouds. As soon as her bright blue eyes met his he watched as she recognized him and started towards him with a big smile. It wasn't until she turned to him that he noticed the fox kit on her shoulder watching him with green eyes that could rival his own and was watching him in a way that actually made him proud, he was looking to protect his mother.

**"Shoji! Good morning."** She said to him and he noticed right away that she was acting differently, she seemed to be much happier then what she had been before knowing that her son and friends was there with her. But even behind that he could also see that she was still suffering the betrayal that she had gone though, and after the meeting yesterday, he was sure it was even more fresh in her mind.

**"Morning Kagome. I've been assigned to keep an eye on you."** He informed her, just because it was something he had to do before looking from her eyes to the kit on her shoulder and giving him a big grin. **"And you too, Shippo. You mother speaks fondly of you."** he informed to suspicious kit and was happy to see when the child smiled big at knowing that his mother had told people about him.

**"Oh thats great!"** Kagome told him and he looked back to her and held his arm out for her to take on the opposite side of where Shippo was perched. Once she took it he placed his other hand on her hand before starting to lead her, but out of the corner of his eye he could see the blush the spread across her face.

As her guard, he would just have to be around her and make sure she didn't get hurt. And while he could have done that and lead her to the dinning room by simply walking beside her or in front of her, he was happy that he had chosen to be a gentleman. Not only was the sight of her blushing just too cute, but the warmth he felt when she touched him was just out of this world.

**"Oh, Shippo, this is Shoji."** She told the kit after seeming to forget that she should probably introduce the two of them. **"He's one of Sessomaru's guards."** She informed him and he watched as the kit seemed to be interested in what she was saying and him.

**"Head guard actually."** He corrected her with a sly grin and watched as she gave him a apologetic smile for messing up his job and as the kits eyes grew in wonder. **"And, if you didn't know, I offered your mother my services to train you. And while you are still a little to young for official training, I'm sure I could teach you a few things."** He informed the kit and wasn't at all surprised by the answer he got.

**"Oh yes Shoji-sama! I want to get stronger so that I can protect my mama from mean people like Inuyasha."** He told him and Shoji, while not being surprised by his answer did find a couple of things that suprised him about how he had given it. One of those surprised was how respectful the young kit was. For a orphan raised by a human, he hadn't really expected it. Another was how he had sounded at the end, and what he had smelled. How he had acted, it was only natural that he didn't like Inuyasha after he harmed who he thought of as his mother, and the nee to protect things that demons considered theirs was normal too. But he had smelled the stirring of the kits inner demon.

He should be to young for that. Inner demon normally laid dormant until a kit was old enough for training, and yet there was no mistaking it, it was there. He stopped walking to look at the kit curiously. It would seem that he would have to make a exception with the whole age thing, as training was not only to build up skill, but it also helped with control of the inner demon, and if just the mention the half demon had caused it to rise a little, he would need to be able to control it. He was to small to hold an actual weapon, but he could get around that pretty easy.

**"Shippo. When did your inner demon awaken?"** He asked the kit and for now ignored the confused look of Kagome, she was human so of course she wouldn't know about things like this, but he would explain it later.

Shippo seemed to think about it for a moment before speaking up, he himself didn't know much about these thing, having been without the influence of other full demons for so long and with the serious way Shoji was looking at him he kinda felt as if he might have done something wrong, so when he finally answer he started it a low voice, his eyes downcast and looking at the floor. **"About a week ago. We all thought Mama was dead... And Inuyasha..."** AS he thought about what he was about to say his voice go hard, so unlike the normal cheerful voice Kagome was used to. **"Inuyasha left her for dead, she's mine and I thought he had killed her."** His voice had turned to somewhat of a growl there at the end, about the time when he said said she was his.

Shoji didn't miss that his eyes had flashed to red ether or the way the kit gripped Kagome's shoulder tighter. That was until Kagome reached up and pulled him to her chest to hold him and the flashing stopped and he calmed as he buried his nose into her neck and sniffed her scent. She looked to Shoji with concern and he gave her a reassuring smile before holding his arm out for her again and she placed one of her hands on his upper arm before his other hand was placed on her's.

**"All full demons have what we call inner demons. It's our animalistic instincts. While not all demons are strong enough to have a human form, all demons have a primal form. Most of the time you can tell that this side has come out from the eyes bleeding red, and if they want to or it becomes to strong, they will shift into another form, some sort of animal, a dragon, or for elemental demons they will actually change to whatever element they are."** He told her as they continued on thought the halls, at a slower pace then they had been before. They was already late and he was sure that Sesshomaru wouldn't be happy about waiting, but he would explain it to him when they got there.

**"Normally, the inner demon doesn't come forth until later in a demons life, when they would be considered to look about 9 or 10 to humans. That is the age that most demon start to train, it's not only to build their skills, but to help them control that inner demon. If it's not controlled, it can take over and without control over it, it would be very hard to push it down and come back into control."** He explained to her and noticed as her grip on his tightened and she stopped.

When he turned to look at her he noticed that both her and the kit looked worried and scared. Before Kagome could actually ask what was on her mind, Shippo beat her to it. **"I don't want to hurt mama or anyone else!"** She cried and Shoji couldn't help but be confused by that. Why would the kit think he would hurt his mother? And from the look in her eyes, she was having the same thoughts. It took it a moment but he finally remembered, they had been traveling with a half demon all this time. And if they was fearful of that, he would say that they had seen his demon blood take over.

Reaching out a hand he placed it on top of the kits head and ruffed his hair with a chuckle. **"Inner demons are different from when demon blood takes over a half demon such as Inuyasha."** He told him and watched as bother relaxed. **"With half demons if the human was really weak then the blood from the human that is passed to the child will be weak as well, and you mix that with the blood of a strong demon, then it will be harder for the human to keep in control of it. In those cases the two bloods want something completely different, they are not the same person really. And while not always the demon blood will want to harm others, more often then not it will. Thats why most give their children some sort of item to keep this from happening."** He told them and waited to make sure they knew what he was saying before starting to walk again.

**"With full demons, the inner demons wants the same things as you do. Sometimes it's things that you don't know you want, but it's not a different person then you. Like with me, even if my inner demon was to come out right now, it knows what is mine and what I want done and what I don't want done."** He told them and looked back and gave Kagome a smile as they finally stopped outside of a set of large doors. **"We will continue this conversation after breakfast." **

With that he opened a door and lead her in and was greeted by looks from the two humans from her pack who was surprised at the face her had her hand on his arm, young Rin who gave him a huge toothy grin before doing the same to Kagome and them looking extra excited when she noticed Shippo, she didn't get to play with many kids so he was happy that she seemed to like Shippo already. And as he lead her to her seat, pulled it and the one beside her out and let the two sit, he noticed the look he got from Sesshomaru for being late and as he walked around to get to his seat on eh other side of the table she stopped to the side of the lord and bent down so that he could whisper to him, **"The kits inner demon as already showed it's self."** Was all he said before standing straight again and walking on around to take his seat beside another guard and right in front of Kagome.

**AN:**

Thanks for the great reviews guys and I'm sorry that it's taken a couple days for me to update. Between job applications, and just life in general I haven't been able to get anything written.

But this one is a little longer then normal and really it could have gone on for awhile longer, but I wanted to get it out pretty soon. But don't worry! I'm already working on the next one and will have it out a little later today!

**So how about some answers to reviews!**

**A Anonymous Guest: ** I'm not sure if I completely understood your review, but after a couple times of reading it I'm going to take a guess as say that you was talking about how Kagome should be more strong willed and defiant even, like in the show? Well don't fret! She has not had a lot of time to really thing about the fact that she nearly died at the hands of the man she loved and the woman who he had chosen over her. Even the thought of making sure her son and friends was okay are coming before her own realization of these facts. Sure she has thought about it, but she hadn't really dove into them yet, so during this time, she will be a little off character, thats jut what situation like that do to a person. But I think if you still around and read what is to come you will find her getting back into her old self again!

**To everyone who told me how much you liked/loved it:** I thank you so much! You people are the reason that this is going from just an experimental try out to me trying to push out as much as I can! So keep it coming guys and I'll do the same thing. As long as I can please you with my stories I'll be making more chapters and I hope more stories even after this one!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**The Healing Possess and Could it be the Start of Something Good?**

Breakfast had gone over pretty smoothly, there was a couple of bumpy starts with conversation as no one seemed to know if it was appropriate or not, but it would seem that after the trip the the palace being spent in silence among her friends, Kagome couldn't take the silence anymore about halfway though. **"So guys, this place it amazing, right? It's so big I get lost all the time."** She said to her two friends who looked at her surprised before looking to the demon lord at the head of the table, and after seeing that he didn't seem to mind, or even acknowledge the conversation Sango was the first to speak looking at her friend with a big smile. **"Yeah, it's very nice."** She said to her and opened her mouth to say more but closed it again and no one but the children missed the worried look she got.

Miroku though was the only one who knew what it was she was wanting to ask but wasn't sure about. None of them knew what happened, why she was here, or anything really. **"Kagome, What happened?"** He asked her before looking down to her arm where the sleeve of her kimono had come up a bit and he saw bandages. though they was quickly out of sight again when Kagome placed her chopsticks down on top of her bowel of rice that wasn't even halfway finished.

Between that and the rest of her breakfast, it was clear to the demon lord that she still wasn't eating that much. He didn't know if it was a normal thing for her to just not eat much, but he was tempted to get one of the guards to start force feeding her, it hadn't even been that long and to the normal human eye, it might not be noticeable, but to him a Shoji, they could see she was loosing weight. But he also noticed that she didn't seem to really want to talk about what happened. But he couldn't understand why. She had told him and Shoji.

She fingered the ends of her sleeves as she looked down at her lap and Sango was just about to tell her sister that she didn't have to tell them anything, Kagome finally spoke. **"What is there to say really? Kikyo attacked me, started a fire around me, and as I screamed to be saved Inuyasha bust thought the trees, looked right at me as I started to burn, grabbed Kikyo, and left me there."** She said and let out a little forced laugh at the end as she gave a clearly face smile to her friends as they sat there looking hororfide. **"Finally I was able to crawl out of the flames where they was a small part of it that had started to go out enough for me to, I got as far away as I could, and the next thing I know I'm in Sesshomaru-sama's care."** She finished her tale and right away wished that she hadn't said anything here.

Right away, after telling this to her friends, with her kit sitting right there who was not looking at her with that Shoji would be able to tell her was revenge in his mind, she felt it all finally crash down around her... She had almost died. When she left the blazing fires, she knew deep down that she was going to die no mater what she did. Even if the burns didn't kill her something else would have. She was knocking on deaths door. She could remember how hot she felt as if her skin was still on fire, but as she had fallen to the forest floor how she had suddenly felt cold, as if she was in the middle of a snow storm.

She hadn't even really thought about that yet, she had thought about the betryal plenty, it kept her from eating as much as she really needed and for a few days kept her from sleeping or wanting to get out of bed. But as she finally came to the conclusion that she should be dead right now, that she shouldn't even be here she felt her heart thud in her chest harder then normal before slowing and could almost feel the color leaving her face as her face dropped and she looked down at her hands in her lap. **"Lord Sesshomaru, may I leave the table?"** She asked him, her voice was shaking, even the humans in the room could hear it, so instead of telling her no, that she should eat more before leaving, he simply waited for her to look up at him and gave her a nod.

Standing from her seat she started to step away when Shippo jumped up as well. **"Wait for me mama!"** He called, clearly very worried about her but she shook her head and after giving her self a moment turned to him with a big smile. **"No, don't worry Shippo. You finish eating and then if Sesshomaru-sama allows it maybe you and Rin can go out to play."** She told him and saw that he looked back to the young girl who gave him a big smile and a nod before sitting back down at the table.

With that she made her escape, she didn't know where she was going, but she needed some fresh air and she needed it now. Her head was swimming as she walked down the hall but she didn't make it far before a hand was placed on her shoulder. She jumped and let out a gasp before whirling around and was about to give whoever it was a piece of her mind, couldn't she have two minutes to herself! But after seeing the bright green worried eyes of Shoji her words fell from her lips without even a sound of protest. **"Allow me to lead you to wherever you would like to go."** He said to her with a small smile before offering his arm to her and once she got herself to stop stupidly staring at him she nodded and placed her hand on his upper arm and was actually happy because it helped fix the little balance problem that she had been feeling coming on.

He didn't really know where she wanted to go, and she didn't seem to be willing to tell him, though it wasn't that she didn't want him to know, he knew that, it was more for the fact that she seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. **"Would you like to go to the gardens? It's really nice out there this time of year and there is a nice long path that leads though it, and if you go far enough it will take you to a nice little river with a water fall in the woods."** He told her with a charming smile. He would push anything right now, she clearly needed some time before he started to get his answers from her, and right now he was just happy to feel her touch and smell her scent. After a little broken smile and nod he started to lead her though halls until coming to a set of smaller doors and using his free hand to open one he lead her out.

As they walked though the doors the bright sun assaulted her eyes and she almost felt as though it was laughing at her. How could it be so bright and cheerful when she felt like crawling into a corner and dying? but as her eyes adjusted to the light she started to see her surroundings, and it seemed that her demon companion was waiting for her to get adjusted before starting to lead her forward. Below her feet was a stone path, not completely stone, but flat topped stones of different shapes and sized that was spread out a little to show the green grass all around them that seemed to lead the way. Around her was different flowers of every kind, trees, and sakura blossoms looked amazing right now and as the wind blew though her hair, picking it up and making it sway towards her companion only to whip out at the ends, the little pink peddles came blowing past her.

The sight was just amazing there was no other way to describe it, and he didn't mean the garden that he had seen so many times he knew ever blade of grass by heart, but the little miko beside him. And as the wind blew though her hair he got an even stronger smell of her natural scent that seemed to send shivers down his spine. And what had been a small broke smile only moments ago was a real one, still small, but it was at least real and whole. Looking ahead of him he walked along, leading her down the path as she looked at everything there was to see.

AS they rounded a corner blocked off by trees she saw a small bridge, the raining painted in red and below it was a small pond. It didn't take long to get there and when they did she stopped in the middle of it and after taking her hand from his arm, place them on the railing and looked over to find koi fish swimming lazily in circles. As she gazed into them her thoughts from before flooded her mind and she let out a sigh, her smile dropping to be left with a sad frown. **"I shouldn't be alive."** She finally said it was in nothing more but a sad whisper but his heightened hearing caught it perfectly and he looked at her in what could only be described as complete shock.

**"What do you mean?"** He asked her and watched as she finally gazed up from the fish in the pond and looked his right in the eyes, her own filling with unshed tears, she still hadn't really let out her emotions this whole time since it had happened.

Taking his arm again this time it was her who was leading him as he followed along and waited for an answer as they made it farther and farther along the trail until there was trees and not much of anything else on both sides of them. As they started to come upon the river he had told her about her voice finally reached his ears. **"I mean I shouldn't be alive, I should be dead. The fire should have killed me, the burns from it should have, I should have been found in the woods as I ran away by a demon who wanted me dead because I'm a miko, or some humans who just didn't care." **She told him and as she spoke she smelled the tears before he saw them.

They had come to a stop just at the wood line about ten feet from the river and she had stopped to answer his question and seemed to finally be letting her emotions out, it was just to bad he didn't quite know what to do or say as she stood there looking at her feet after telling him that. But it would seem that he didn't really have to think about it, pure instincts drove him as he placed a hand on her shoulder, as he turned her to face him, as he pulled her to him and wrapped one arm around her shaking shoulders and the other he let his hand rest on the back of her head as she buried her face into his chest.

Kagome didn't really know what to expect when she told him this, she had half expected for him to scoff at her and call her a weak human or woman, that had always been was Inuyasha did when she let her emotions out. But as he enveloped her into an embrace she found herself gripping onto the sides of his cloths as she buried her face into him even more and finally actually let the sobs out inteade of trying to fight back the tears that was already leaking out. She felt as he burred his nose into the top of her head and found that it was actually comforting as he breathed in her scent. And finally he spoke.

**"No, if you should have died, you would have. But instead you walked so far from where it happened without one attack on your person. You finally made it to someone and it was young Rin and Lord Sesshomaru who instead of killing you or just leaving you there brought you here to heal. So again, you wasn't mean to die, if anything you was meant to live. For your friends, for you family, for your kit... And probably for everyone one here that you hadn't even met yet."** He told her and she couldn't help the feeling of her heart beating faster and a swelling in her chest and though her sobs had calmed and was not only a steading stream of tears and slowing by the minutes, she didn't stop them or pull away.

As he held her he couldn't help how he was feeling, it was as if her scent was drawing him in, bringing him closer to the little woman he was trying to comfort, and as she seemed to calm, he still held her, and he was happy to see that she didn't seem to want to leave his arms yet ether. It wasn't until the scent of her tears drifted away and all that was left was the sound of her soft breathing and the smell of honey before she finally started to pull away and he reluctantly let her go. The had stayed there, in silence mostly as she soaked her feet in the river and he rested against a tree. The day had gone by rather quickly and it was already time for lunch when they started to make their way back.

**~~~~~~~Sesshomaru~~~~~~~~~~~**

They hadn't known anything. As he followed them just out a sight and scent range of the two of them, if he was going to get answers about the woman, he needed to be able to hear what she had to say, and after seeing the way she looked as she had left the dinning room, he was sure something was on her mind, so he had motioned for Shoji to follow her, maybe he would be able to get something out of her. He had thought about informing Shoji of the things he wanted to know and have him try and ask her things about them when he was around to hear them, but then he thought against it. Demons loved the hunt, and Inu's loved a good mystery, so to have Shoji getting information for him just wouldn't be as fun as getting it himself.

He had followed them the whole time, the first words she had said had surprised him greatly, and later down the path at the river her confession about how she felt about what happened had surprised him even more. What had happened to the defiant woman who glared at him and showed no fear even though he could smell it on her? She seemed to be lost in a daze since he had found her and now she was breaking down, granted it was away from almost everyone, but he hadn't thought of her as they type of person to break so easy. But from what he understood humans feared death, and while when he had found her, she had been fighting death, but he had smelled no fear on her from what he was sure she knew was to come.

But all in all he had gotten some information out of it. Though as he finally got close enough to not only hear was what being said, but to see what was being said as Shoji comforted her, he was shocked. There was his top guard, general of his army, holding a human woman flush against his chest as tightly as he could without hurting her, with his nose buried in her hair, and she was allowing it. There came that feeling again, that feeling had had gotten when Shoji had brought up that there was plenty of demons that might force her hand in a situation like this... Sure, he knew Shoji, he knew that he would never force a woman to do anything she didn't want to and he was sure that he was only comforting the miko, after all he had never said anything about being attracted to humans before. But there was something just nagging at the back of his mind, and not only that, as he watched them, the words stopped and they just stood there in each others arms he watched as shoji clearly seemed to enjoy the scent of the woman, his inner demon started to awaken and he could hear the growl in the back of his mind.

There was something his inner demon didn't like about this, but he logically couldn't figure out what it was. Even if this was more them him comforting her, they was grown ups. And if it was that this was more, he would get more time around the miko to figure her out... If he wasn't who he was, he would have been able to pull of a grin that could rival that of Shoji. That was the perfect idea. If the two spent enough time together, maybe they would develop something that was clearly under the surface already. Then he would have all the time in the world to figure the confusing little miko out. With that made up and the two of them pulling apart he make his way back the the palace with that annoying nagging feeling still in the back of his mind but he quickly pushed it down and mentally beat his inner beast into submission.

**~~~~~With Kagome and Shoji~~~~~~**

Nether of them had said a work about what they had talked about, or the embrace they had shared, as it should be, he had simply been comforting her, to expect her to think more of it would only prove to be foolish. But he would not began to lie to himself, he found her attractive, he felt the need to always be around her, he found her scent pleasant, in fact, the best he had ever smelled, and he had feeling for this tiny little human miko. It was crazy, he knew. To him, he didn't hate humans, he didn't mind them at all really, he had even become friends with the couple that worked there or the few that had mates that worked and lived there. But he had never really thought that his potential mate could be a human. He had always just thought he would have a strong demon woman, maybe one much like himself, cunning and sly. But a human, and on top of that a miko, one wrong move and she could purify him without a second thought, he knew that much. He could sense the strong power inside of her.

But he found himself wondering what she could really do, how trained was this young miko? AS they finally made it back inside he got an idea and a sly grin played across his face. **"Kagome, since I'll be training Shippo, I was wandering, what sort of weapons are you trained in?" **He asked her and she turned to look at him strangely for a moment before she looked away and at her feet as they walked. What was that look? Shame? What did she have to be shameful of? Was she not trained? He supposed it was possible, rare but possible none the less. Most mikos learns of their powers pretty early and started training at 10. But others might ether not surface, or are hidden by the child so that they don't have to give up time that they could se just being a kid to prepare for training and then train.

He knew that miko's really never had much of a childhood, the moment it was found out that they had powers they was kept away from other children, never really went out side at all while the studied everything that had to be known, and by the time they are 10 and start training, they are moved to a shrine. **"Bows."** She told him and he was again confused then why she would be ashamed it she knew how to use even that one weapon. **"Though I guess I'm not that great with them, or using my powers in general. Inuyasha always told me how bad I was with the use of my powers and my archery. And how my powers are no where near as strong as her's."** She told him and he finally got it, though now he got the urge to go and punch that mutt in the face.

**"She was the woman that was there with him yesterday, no?" **He asked her and father a nod of his head he let out of laugh. **"I could barely feel any power from her, not near as much as I can feel hiding inside of you. Maybe it's just that you haven't tapped into it yet."** He told her and thought for a moment before stopping and giving her a big smile. **"I'll train you. In everything I can, close combat stuff, after all bows will only get you so far, how are you going to be able to defend yourself when someone gets to close to you?"** He asked her and watched as she opened her mouth as if to answer and then closed it again.

**"I thought that miko powers only worked on arrow though."** She finally said and his smile fell a little and he looked at her confused. But she had only ever really seen Kikyo, no other miko's, she wasn't from this time after all, but knowing that he didn't know that she added. **"I'm not from around here and Kikyo is the only miko I've met."** And some confusion seemed to clear before he smiled at her again.

**"You can use any weapon you want, we can work on things until we find something that you are the most comfortable with. It would work the same as a arrow from what I've been told. But I don't know everything about miko's. Perhaps you should talk to Sesshomaru and ask if he can find a skilled miko that would be willing to come here and train you in things that I can't. While you are here you should take advantage of all this advantages you can get." **He told her and Kagome thought on that as they entered the dinning room for a quick lunch.

**AN:**

A little on the short side I know, I had wanted it to be much longer then this becuase of the couple days taht I didn't post anything up, but I'm just dead tired at this point, been up for over 24 hours straight but I just had to finish this was the best I could and get it out becuase you guys are just great!

I hope you enjoy and I'll try to start more tomorrow!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**TRaining Day 1.**

Lunch went by pretty quietly, everyone just eating their meals and the two other humans in the miko's ground seemed to be lost in their own thoughts, no doubt about the half breed and their friend. Sango couldn't help but wander if Kagome would stick to staying away from Inuyasha once and for all. He had always hurt her, they all knew it. Acting as if he cared for her one moment, the next telling her how she could never be as good as Kikyo and then running of to said the before mentioned dead woman.

And yet Kagome always seemed to come back every time, she would cry, get angry, yell, run home for a week or so, but she always came back. And while nether her nor Miroku wanted it to come to something like this, maybe she would finally stay away from him. But even with that both of them couldn't figure out why. They at the very least thought he cared about Kagome enough to be a friend. But friends did not leave you there to die and choose to save someone who was already dead.

Finally though, someone spoke up, Kagome, it would seem the little woman really didn't like silence, but what surprised almost everyone was who she spoke to. **"Lord Sesshomaru, I was wondering if it would be alright to talk to you about something."** She asked him and he looked at her with a raised brow before giving one elegant nod of his head and standing, followed by her and then Shoji and they followed him out.

**~~~~~In the Study~~~~**

Sesshomaru really had no idea what the little miko would want with him, but he could use thins time to his advantage, though as Shoji stood as well he couldn't even stop the feeling in the pit of his stomach that told him he didn't like how the fox demon followed her around like a guard dog... Though thats what he had told him to do so he didn't understand why.

He lead them to his study and opened the door, holding it open for the miko, Kagome to enter ahead of him and just a simple look to Shoji had him waiting outside the door as he walked in and closed it behind him. He motioned to the seat in front of his desk as he went behind it and watched as she took it. **"What is it you have to ask of me miko?"** He asked her.

**"Please, call me Kagome. I hate being called by a title."** She told him before seeming to thank over what it was she needed to ask of him. **"Well, according to Shoji, Shippo's inner demon had showed it's self."** She started and he nodded his head one before looking back at her.

**"Yes, I was informed of this."** He stated for her to continue. **"Well, he said that he would train him to help him learn how to keep control of it, and he also offered to train me as well. But before I accepts ether I wanted to make sure it was alright with you that we stay here longer for that."** She explained to him and he was actually a little surprised that she was asking him and not just staying since he had not given her any time that she had to be gone. Most humans would have been acting as if they owned the place, ordering servants around and staying as long as they could before he killed them or kicked them out. But from what he had been seeing, and now this, she not only asked him and he was sure that if he told her no she would have accepted it, but she didn't order anything of anyone, she asked the servants, giving them a choice in what they did for her.

**"Very well, This Sesshomaru will allow that. Is there anything else?"** He asked her with a slightly raised brow, his voice was cool and even but he was waiting for it, he was waiting for her to start asking of things that would be selfish that he could say no to. And she did ask for one more thing.

**"Do you know of any trained miko's who might be willing to train me here? I don't have any money that I could pay her but I could do task that she wanted as payment for her teaching me. I would go and try and find one myself but I know that most would not want to come into the home of a demon."** She asked him, if he didn't know of anyone she could find one near by and train her powers away from the palace, that was no problem, but she would rather have someone who new that she had no problems with demons. That was part of the reason she never really met any other miko's, she was hardly even around many humans, she had a demon son,she was friends with demons and half demons, she didn't think them as less then here, and that made most humans, monks, and miko angry at her, and while she didn't to much mind putting herself in some danger, she would not put her son, or anyone here in the palace in danger.

Thinking of her request for a moment he found that the thought of her working for some monk or miko to pay for her training just didn't sit well with him, and her training outside of his home where he or Shoji couldn't keep an eye on her rubbed him the wrong way even more. **"I will look into it."** He finally told her and watched as she gave him a big bright smile.

**"Thank you Sesshomaru-sama! I'm sorry to ask so much of you so if you need anything just let me know and I'll do it without question."** She offered herself to him before turning and leaving the room and leaving him there to thing about the strange young woman who had just left.

**~~~~~~Kagome and Shoji~~~~~~**

They hadn't made it more then a few feet before he couldn't help but ask. **"What did he say about finding someone to train your powers?"** He hoped that he would have agreed to it, he didn't want her to have to run off to find training on her own, and it would make things go smoother as well as he could be trainer her on weapons and combat while she is training her powers.

He watched as a big smile lit up her face. **"He said that I could stay here while your training , me and Shippo and said that he would look into finding someone to help me with me powers."** She told him brightly and he could tell that the way he was looking at her had changed. She was starting to become more lively already, she was no longer quiet and closed in on herself, and he had to say, he liked this side of her a lot more then the other.

**"I can't wait! I've always wanted a chance to get stronger but no one would ever teach me. Inuyasha always said I wasn't worth the time and Miroku and Sango, I love them, but they thought me to weak to even be trained. So thank you so much for the chance Shoji!"** She said and he watched as she spoke how she seemed to bounce with excitement, and finally at the end she swirled around and launched herself at him and he was glad for his demon reflexes of he wouldn't have had time to catch her and wrap his arms around her as she jumped up to wrap her hands around his neck in a hug and as he held onto her for that few seconds, he noticed two things, one was that her feet couldn't touch the floor like this, though she wasn't even trying to touch the floor as she had he knees bent.

And two... her scent was even stronger there. His nose was buried in the crook of her neck right where her pulse point was and he could hear the beats as blood ran thought it and the smell of honey was so strong there he felt weak in the knees and had to clinch his teeth closed or else his tonge would have darted out to see if she actually tasted like what she smelled like.

But it only lasted a few seconds before she pulled back and he noticed that the only reason she hadn't let him go yet was because of the fact that he would holding her to him and she couldn't touch the ground. Her face had the cutest little bit of blush on her cheeks. **"C-can you put me down now?"** She asked shyly, but he really didn't want to do that, so instead he let his famous grin cross his face and his eyes seemed to shine with the trickery he was planing.

**"I don't believe I can. As your teacher and seeing that you can't wait to get started with training, I say it's time to get started, lesson one, your battle cry!"** He told her and watched as her eyes went wide and soon he shifted her so that she was gently tossed over his right shoulder and listened to her little cry of shock. **"That was good, but I expect better from you!"** He told her as he then started to walk down the halls, every once in awhile using his demon speed to give her a little surprise and make her let out that cute little cry that was becoming music to his ears.

He didn't stop until they made it to the dojo inside the palace where he carefully dropped her, making her land on her butt in the middle but also making sure that she didn't hurt herself and watched her as she looked up at him dazed for a moment before she shot up and he felt her slap against his chest. **"Hey! that wasn't even fair you big meany!"** she said to him and he couldn't help but laugh at her and her red embarrassed face as she lashed out at him.

**"Hey, save that for the practice."** He told her and she right away looked away from him to see where they was. When she looked back to him she saw him pointing to something and looked to see a changing screen. **"There should be some cloths over there, go and change and then pick a weapon you want to try out."** He told her, and she was happy to know that even though they was going to be training, he didn't seem to get any more serious then normal, he still had a playful tone so she nodded and headed behind the screen.

Then she came out she was in a pair of pants that was tight and fit her like a glove and came down to just above her knee, and the top was long sleeved that swayed around her just as a kimono would but was tight on her chest and stomach and had two pieces that flowed in front of her and behind her. It was a dark blue with white trimming and though she didn't know it, it was the colors of the west. It was the womens uniform that the guards used when going into battle.

Shoji had been looking on the walls surrounding the place, trying to thing of what would be good to start her off with until he heard her steps come up behind him and he turned around to look at her and his smirk fell, his eyes widened as he seen her. This didn't go unnoticed by Kagome who had come out with a shy little smile on but it quickly disappeared as she saw his reaction and she crossed her arms over herself. **"What?"** She asked him, clearing thinking that the reaction was that he didn't like how she looked.

He couldn't have her thinking that! Not when she looked like the most beautiful thing in the world in those fighting cloths. It had just shocked him, he didn't know that she could look any better then she already did, but she looked strong in those cloths, and yet so frail all at the same time. **"You look..."** He paused to scan her up and down and didn't miss the scent that told him of her feeling even if he wasn't looking at her, she was insecure. **"Beautiful, amazing. I really can't even think of a work that would be good enough to use."** He told her as his eyes landed on her's again and she smiled big at him and he watched as those blue orbs came to life with happiness.

Though their little moment didn't last long before he heard the door to the dojo open up and turned to see Sesshomaru standing there. The cold demon lord didn't miss a beat it would seem, though on the inside he couldn't get the surprise to leave him at the sight he found in the miko. Behind him he was followed by Shippo, Rin, Sango, Miroku, and their own two guards and they came walking up to Kagome as Sesshomaru made his way to Shoji. **"This Sesshomarru cam to observe the miko and see just how skilled she is so that I know how long this will all take."** He informed him before heading to the other side of the dojo to the bleachers that was there, he got himself in the corner and leaned against the wall the watch from there.

With Kagome, the conversations was going a little differently. She knew that her friends didn't want her to get hurt, but how was sure ever going to learn if they didn't let her try! Shippo was telling her that he was planing on getting strong to protect her, so she didn't have to do this, while Sango was talking about how she didn't want her to get hurt and just how strong the demon was, Miroku hadn't really said anything but she could see his silent worry and she was about ready to pull her hair out. She loved them all and she knew they just wanted what was best for her, but she wanted to be stronger, she wanted to be able to take care of herself. After all they would have to start hunting for the jewel and without Inuyasha there they was going to have a hard time already, the last thing they needed was to have her holding them up as well.

Thankfully though, Shoji seemed to have been listening to the conversation and butted in right beside Kagome who he put an arm around ad rested his hand on her shoulder. **"Guys, guys, don't worry. This is only to see how skilled she is with different things and to see just what she is most comfortable with. I wont even have a weapon, I'll only be blocking and dodging."** He informed them and Shippo at least seemed to calm, he seemed to look up to the older fox demon and seemed to trust him. The other two, having not really spoken to him yet wasn't sure. But as Kagome shooing them away they went to take a seat and watch to make sure their friend would be fine.

**~~~~Training Day 1 Part 1~~~~~**

With that out of the way he lead Kagome over to the wall that held any weapon she could ever thing of, there was even one that resembled the giant boomerang that Sango had, but it was shiny and seemed to have scales on it. As she ran her finger over it from the side of her she seem Shoji step up. **"It's made of the bone and scales of a dragon. But I think that may be a little to heavy for you."** He informed her and she went on looking at different things, Shoji would tell her different things about each item and tell her if he thought it would be good for her or not, most things that had a lot a weight to them was a no no, so large swords and things like that was a no. Smaller ones, knifes, staffs, and other things that she could easily carry with her at all times and use easy was good.

Finally she had picked something and Shoji was rather surprised by her choice actually, he had expected her to use a sword or maybe a staff as those was a couple things she seemed to linger on. But finally she had come across something that seemed to have caught her attention, it was a double handed set, she had already looked at a couple things like that with little interest, that hadn't surprised him as most holy figure didn't tined to use things like that. but from almost across the room she had seen one that consisted of a knife that had finger holes in the hilt of it and the blade ran along the other side of the hilt up past it about a couple of inches and then started to curve back into a deadly sharp point. **"The hilt is made from an ivory tusk of a demon that came from some far away place called a elephant demon. Sesshomaru seemed to be one of the few people who knows where to get such things."** He told her as she examined the knife and the picked up the second piece of the set, this one being a short sword, the hilt of it was made out of the same as the knife but in it was carvings of what looked to be a battle with many types of demons.

The two largest things there was a large dog with stripes on it's muzzle and a crescent moon on it's forehand, he was slashing down what looked to be a huge snake demon and behind him facing the other way was another imposing figure, it looked to be a huge fox with many tails behind it and it had a bear demon in it's mouth by the throat. There was what looked like sapphires going all the way around the top of this hilt just below the hilt guard and on the bottom of it was one large one. **"I helped design that one."** Came his soft voice just beside her ear as he looked over her shoulder at it and the reached an arm around her, making her feel as though he was about embrace her as he pointed one clawed finger at the two figured she had been looking at. **"Lord Sesshomaru."** He said pointed to the large dog and them moving his claw over it he stopped on the fox and was about to speak when she beat him to it. **"That one is you, isn't it?"** She asked him, looking from the blade back into his eyes and he simply smiled and nodded at her.

With that she nodded. **"Well I see no better weapons to pick then one that has the symbols of two of the strongest demons I know."** She told him and as he stepped back she turned and followed him to the center of the dojo where he told her the best way to hold and use the weapons.

First taking the knife from her he held it in one hand as he took her free hand with his other and slid the knife over her first four fingers like how one would use a pair of bras knuckles and then closed her fist around it. **"This it really more of a off handed weapon, you want to try and not get close enough to have to use it unless you know that they can't hit you back, if you can sneak up on them, this is a very deadly weapon. The curved blade make it slice easily but if you stab it into them and pull back, it will could more ripping then slicing, both are effective depending on the situation."** He told her before moving to her other hand.

He moved the blade in the right position and she loved the feel of the carvings in her hand and memorized just how it felt in the position he put it in so that she would know to hold it like that every time. **"With this, it will be just like most other swords, if you notice the tip of it it curved back but like the knife, this makes it so that you can easily use it for slicing, but unlike the knife, because this one is longer you can pull it backwards to cause a ripping effect, instead if you are able to thrust it into the enemy, it will cause it to go in at a angle that will cause more internal damage then just a normal straight sword, if you can twist it while it's inside of them, then you've won, they wont get up from that."** He told her.

Now that he had explained to her just what they could be used for and how to hold them he walked away to the other side of the room before turning to her again. **"Attack me."** He told her but watched as she halted and the smile that had been on her face every since she had found the weapons disappeared.

**"I don't want to hurt you."** She told him, worry in her voice and he couldn't help but smile wide at her. She had what he liked to call a warriors smile on her face this whole time, and yet she was scared to hurt him, it was actually rather cute.

**"Don't worry, I can get out of the way of anything you do or block it if need be. But this is your first time using these weapons, I don't expect you to even get anywhere near actually hitting me with it."** He told her and watched as the smile came back to her face, she really was a strange one. Most people would thing of that as a challenge, they would be angry that he thought himself so much better then them, but her, she took it as truth, she knew that he was better then her and instead of getting upset about it, she used it to remind herself that she wouldn't hurt him.

With that out of the way and that, dare he say, sexy smile back on her face, she got into a fighting stance that she thought would be good, and got ready to charge at him.

**AN:**

OH NO! The dreaded cliff hangers! When will I update the nest chapter! Will it be today? Tomorrow? Maybe a week from now? I don't know, I guess you will have to wait and find that out! Muahahahahahahahaha!

Anyway, I've been reading your reviews and I'm happy to know that you all love Shoji just as much as I do! I'm not sure if I've said this before already, but when I write, I don't have a outline of whats going to happen, I just let things happen as I'm actually writing the story. So I'm just as surprised by anything that happens as you are. That being said, I love Shoji and I think that him and Kogome would make a great pair! I also love Sesshomaru and I think they would make a great pair, so at this point it's all up to the way the story goes! I might have to change this from a K/S to something else by the end of it, but I just wont know until the very last work is written!

So that being said, lets have some fun with the reviews, tell me who you thing she should end up with, or who you think she will end up with by the end of it. If you want her to be with one but think she will end up with another thats find to! Just let me know!

Much love to you all! 3


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Training Day 1 Part 2 and the Secrets of a Time Travailing Miko.**

Sesshomaru watched from the sideline as the little miko readied herself to attack and could already see things that would need to be worked on and was tempted to step out in front of her and show her how to correct it. He knew that for his plan to work of the two of them getting together for even a short time would go even better if he let Shoji train her. It was instincts of a demon that made a strong woman more desirable, and while if they are already strong from the first meeting its nice, it's even better when they can say that they trained them, it's actually kind of a turn on to train a woman your interested in being your potential mate, just as much as it is to spar with them sometimes if and when they actually get good. I little blood shed was always a plus. It was not only sexy to see them as they attacked you, but it also helped with both party's little out frustrations that could sometimes come from being around one person for to long. The more human marriages he seen where they was unhappy the more he wondered why they didn't just adopted that from them.

As he watched her charge at him he had to admit, though her form was off in her stance and her charge could use some work, she was using the weapons the right way, she had the short sword out in from of her laying sideways as she ran, ready to cut at or block with it, and the knife in her other hand was in the background, close to her body, but ready to lash out if needed to.

Shoji could tell that Kagome wasn't being serious about this, and that somehow made it better to watch her. He knew that she knew nothing about things like this, how to hold them, how to use them, how to stand and charge, nothing. But she was giving it a try anyway and from the grin on her face, she was enjoying it. Maybe they wouldn't have to go over a lot of different weapons to find one she was comfortable with, she seemed to be plenty comfortable with her first choice, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to train her in others anyway to both make sure, and so that she would know how to use them if she couldn't get weapons like what she had now.

As she made it to him she grinned at her as she sliced the short sword though the air sideways and she would have left a nice little nick in his arm had he not used his demon speed to step back away from her. **"Not bad, not bad. But lets see if you can actually hit me."** He told her and before she could worry herself he added. **"And don't worry about hurting me, just aim for arms and legs and you wont do anything more then give me a little cut. IF you can even hit be in the first place."** He told her, teasing her at the last of it and watched as her own smile got bigger and the spark of determination that filled her blue orbs. That right there had been what he was looking for. So it seemed the little woman did have a fighting spirit after all!

Kagome continued her attacks, trying to hit any bit of skin on his arms and legs as she could, but it almost seemed like he was staying put until the last second before easily moving out of the way of it. As this continued on she wasn't getting mad or upset, just more and more determined to at least give him a little cut and started to change up how she would try it as she pushed him farther and farther back towards the wall. Sometimes she would come in from the side like she had the first times, sometime she would try swinging it down or upwards. But nothing seemed to work, finally she did something that might be considered wrong to do as it left her open for a moment, but when he was about a foot from the wall she acted as if she was about to swing it to the side again to try and get him but shifted the blade in her hand and moved it to the other side of him to try and attack that side. He watched the amusement and surprise in his green eyes when he seen what she was doing but moved himself away just in time and watched the blade to make sure she wasn't going to try and follow him with it to get him.

As he dodged her attack he couldn't help but think it was a pretty good one, if you could surprise your opponent then they would be less likely to dodge out of the way, block it, or even notice that she had left herself open for that moment to make the attack. But ether he was slipping, or she was better then he though she was because as he stepped away from the sword and faced it so that he was more so standing to the side of her, he felt a blade run across the top of his arm just above his elbow and looked down to see that she had used the knife to slice him and draw blood, and it was actually pretty deep, she had gotten him good!

He was just about to praise her as he looked up at her when she spoke first. **"Oh no! I'm so sorry Shoji, I didn't mean for it to go that deep, I was only going to give you a little cut!**" She told him as she placed her weapons on the floor of the dojo carefully before placing her hands on his arm to get a better look at the damage she had caused him, worry in her eyes as she looked over it. Though when he couldn't help but chuckle at her she looked up at him with surprise and confusion.

**"No! That was great Kagome!"** He told her with a huge grin on his face. **"That will heal by the end of the day. But I'm actually impressed, you forced my hand so that I would be in a perfect position to use your off-hand."** He praised her and watched as her face lit up with a bright smile filled with pride.

It was then that they was ambushed by her friends who had been on the side lines, all telling her how good a job she did and with some work she would be great. Shoji chose to let her friends have their moment with her as he turned to his lord who casually walked up to him and stopped. And he just knew that he had waited for the moment when the others got quiet before speaking up so that not only he, but Kagome had heard him. **"She needs some work with a few things."** He said and Shoji could feel the change in Kagome's mood even though she was behind him right now and he wanted to glare at Sesshomaru for his words, he planed on telling her thing she would need work on, but right now he was going to let her have her moment. After all it was deserved, he had never met anyone who had made him draw blood on the first day of training, and they had all been demons, she was just a human woman.

But before he could he spoke up again. **"But she had potential. This Sesshomaru will be helping with the training of her. After all you can only spend so much time with her if you also plan on training the kit."** He told him and before he could say anything Kagome had stepped forward and bowed to him, a big smile on her face, and he didn't blame her, it wasn't every day that Lord Sesshomaru himself offered to train someone, in fact, he didn't think he would ever see it happen until he was training his own pups. **"Thank you Sesshomaru-sama."** Kagome said to him.

Sesshomaru simply gave one nod of his head before heading to the door, he knew that the rest of the training would be on simple things like stance and the best ways to attack using her weapons, he didn't need t be there for it, he would simply wait till tomorrow to see how much she took away form it and how fast of a learner she really was or if what she had done just then was nothing but dumb luck or not. After all he had things to do, not only did he had to write back to the lord of the north and tell him that he would be there for the mating ceremony for his son, but he would have to find a miko who would be willing to stay there and train her, he of course would be paying for it. There was no way he was going to have the miko paying them back for training by working for them.

~~~~~~In the Dojo~~~~~~~

After a little talk with her friends all but Shippo left so that Shoji could train the both of them together. Bending down on one knee in front of the little kit he smiled at him. **"So, what type of weapon do you want to start with?"** He asked him kindly and watched as the little kit puffed up his chest with pride and no doubt to try and make himself look stronger and bigger then he actually was. **"A two handed sword! There is no one else in the pack anymore that can use one so I have to make up for it."** He told him and he looked out of the corner of his eye to see Kagome get a rather sad look on her face at hearing her kit. When he looked back to the child he saw he had deflated a bit himself, but he figured it was for a different reason then his mother, as he spoke up.

**"But I'm still to small so I can't use one."** He said in a low voice as his eyes met the floor and Shoji reached a clawed hand out to place a finger under his chin and make him look up at him. With a grin still in place and his eyes filled with amusement he let out a chuckle. **"Shippo, we are fox demons. I think we are clever enough to figure out how we can make that happen."** He told him and watched as the kit seemed to cheer up but also noticed the curiosity of him and as he stood her motioned for Kagome to go with him. **"Stay right here, we will pick you out the best sword we can find."** He told the kit as he lead Kagome into a little side room.

Since the kit was so young, he wasn't going to give him something that was sharpened, he didn't worry for his own safety, only that of the kit, if there was a mishap then he could get hurt if he had something sharp, so for now he would be training with weapons that had been dulled and that instead of a point at the end would have a rounded end. As he looked though everything to find something that would work as a two handed sword for the kit he spoke up, his voice low so that the kit in the other room wouldn't hear him. **"What's your concern, Kagome?"** He asked her and looked over at her as she let out a heavy sigh and looked at her feet sadly.

**"I don't know. It's just that where I'm from, kids are just that, kids. They don't feel as though they have to pick up the responsibility of someone else, they run around and play without any worries."** She told him as she leaned against the wall.** "I know that things are different here, but I wanted shippo to have a childhood more then ever since I knew that after the death of his father he had to give that up. So It just saddens me to know that he feels like he had to take over the place of Inuyasha when he should be with Rin chasing Jaken around, or drawing and coloring."** She said and a small sad smile came over her face as she seemed to think about what she just said.

**"That's his talent really, he's such a little artist. I need to go home soon and get him some more colors."** She said, though he knew that she had said the last part more to herself, he was confused about what 'colors' was. Or well, he knew what a color was, but how did one have them as a possession? But even more ten that, he found himself curious about her home and why it was so different then it was here.

**"I think that's the first time you've ever said anything about your home. Can you tell me more about it?"** He asked her as he finally turned to her, a large knife in his hand, it was smaller then a short sword but bigger then a normal knife, it would be perfect for Shippo to use as a sword until he could get something made just for him.

He notice that she seemed to shut herself off when he asked her about her home, even looking away from him. She seemed to be fighting with herself around something. **"I wish I could tell you, I really do. Your so nice and I know that you would never hurt me..."** She paused and she finally let out a heavy sigh and shook her head. **"You wouldn't even believe me if I did tell you."** She told him and he raised a brow at her.

Why wouldn't he believe her? What was so strange about her home that people would thing she was lying to them? **"Kagome, I would believe you. I have no reason to think you would lie, and not only that, but I can small if you was lying."** He told her with a little smile as he stepped closer to her, looking down at her and finally reaching up her gently gripped her chin and made her look at him. **"I would never hurt you and never doubt you. I'm just curious about you and want to learn all I can about you."** He told her, his voice calm and even and he hoped it sounded like he was telling the truth because he was.

Kagome looked up at him and right into his eyes as he spoke to her and in them she saw he was telling the truth and is took no more convincing before she let out a sigh and nodded. It would have all come out anyway when she asked if she could go home for a time. **"I'm from a different time. 500 years in the future actually. There is a magic well just outside of Edo in Inuyasha's Forest, you should have seen it when we went to get Shippo. I was dragged down that well when I was 15 by a demon wanting the jewel that was inside of me and I've been going back and forth though it every since."** She told him and watched him for any sign that he didn't believe her.

Shoji looked at her in shock and felt as though he couldn't move as he starred into her blue orbs. He tried to smell and trace of a lie from her, but smelled nothing. Was it even possible? Well he guessed it was seeing as there was living proof right her in front of him. He had no idea what to even say though, and he didn't know if he could keep this just to himself, he wanted to talk to someone about it, namely Sesshomaru. **"Dose Sesshomaru know about this?" He finally asked her and watched as she shook her head. "Dose this well work for anyone?"** He asked and she shook her head again.

**"Only me and Inuyasha have been able to go though it. We never tired to have anyone else go with me, but at one time or another everyone has tried to use it when I wasn't around and said that to them it was just a normal well."** She told him and right away she found herself hoping that Inuyasha was no longer able to go thought it. Keade has a theory at one time that it only allowed people she wanted into it and most likely only if they was with her, but they had never actually tested it out.

He took it in for a moment, so if she went home he wouldn't be able to go with her? Something about that didn't sit right with him, he didn't like knowing that a place that she would no doubt go to sometimes he wouldn't be there to protect her. But she did say that she had never tired it with anyone else. **"If I was to go with you to this well, could we try and go though it together?"** He asked her and watched the shock and then something else cross her face, but the other he couldn't place. **"I-I'm not sure that you would like it."** She told him and he raised a brow to her wanting an explanation to that.

And she thankfully supplied it. **"Things have changed a lot between now and then. The air isn't as fresh and even with Inuyasha being a half demon he reacted badly to it the first time he can though. There are lots of sounds, lots of humans, and I've seem or felt no demons."** She told him and he had to admit, that was different, he could take the smell and sounds, and he had not problems with humans clearly. But the thought of there being no demons? It was only 500 years, that wasn't very long to a demon, so why is it that there just wasn't any around? This just brought him back to his first thought, this was something Sesshomaru needed to know.

**"I would still like to try if you would allow me to come to your home."** He told her and waited for a answer and when she finally gave a little smile and nodded he couldn't help but smile as well. **"And, I'm afraid this is something Sesshomaru needs to know, Kagome. If there are no demons in your time, maybe knowing that can help to stop whatever it is that happens to us."** He told her and watched at her eyes went wide, this confused him, did she not want any of them to live? Was that the reason she was nice to demons, because she knew it didn't matter because they would be long gone in her time anyway?

**"I don't want to mess up history, anything could happen if I did. I could have never been born if I change something."** She told him but her eyes seemed to darken as she thought and he waited for her to finish. He understood her not wanting to change it, if it was a risk to him never meeting her, or even worse, having met her and know that she was here but she just disappeared? He didn't want that to happen. But soon a determination came to her eyes an she nodded. **"No, I can't just not say anything, it I can save thousands, if not millions of people from going extinct, I can't just keep my mouth closed."** She finally said.

She realized that one life, her life, wasn't really more important then that of many others. For Shoji, Shippo, Sesshomaru, Koga, and all the other good demons out there that she had met or hadn't met yet, she just couldn't let them all disappear. If she was lucky maybe her own timeline wouldn't be effected by it. Maybe she would still be bored and still be pulled down the well do do all of this. And then maybe that worry of what would happen when the jewel was gone wouldn't be there anymore, maybe all her demon friends at least would be there waiting if she was to go back home and never be able to go back the the past.

**"But Kagome..."** He was cut off by a shake of her head and a bright smile. **"No, don't try and tell me not to."** She told him and he looked at her with worry in his eyes as he watched her own determination. **"I wouldn't be much of a mother to Shippo if I didn't try and make sure he lived to my time and well beyond then. Everyone needs to have a chance... You need to have a chance."** She told him, the last part of it she said in a whisper and Shoji couldn't help himself. We wrapped his arms around her, pressing her against the wall and burring his face in the crook of her neck and holding her tightly as if at that very moment she was going to just fade away and he was going to find out that she had just changed history and was never there.

But she didn't fade away, in fact he felt as her arms went around him as he held her and closed his eyes as he took in her calming scent. It wasn't until a little voice was heard that he pulled away from her to look to the door. **"Mama, are you okay?"** Asked Shippo, it seemed that they had taken to long and the kit had gotten tired of waiting only to find his mother in the arms of a demon. And not only that, he didn't know why he hadn't noticed it before, but she had started to cry silently. He saw this as he looked at her as she wiped them from her face and gave Shippo a big smile. **"I'm just fine baby. We found your sword."** She said as she pointed to the large knife that Shoji was holding.

Shoji then nodded, he still didn't want Kagome to tell Sesshomaru anymore, but he somehow knew that he wouldn't be able to stop her, she was doing this for her son for one, but not only that, but for every other demon too. **"Come on kid. We will train with this for a little bit, but mostly we are going to be working on your fox magic, we will work more with the sword once I get one actually made for you."** He told him and started to head out, being followed by Shippo and Kagome. As he trained the kit he would look over at her every once in awhile where she was sitting and watching and see that she was trying to keep the thoughts of their conversation out of her mind, and he wished he could do the same.

AN:

Oh my god guys! You guys just don't make my day anymore! You make my life! I love waking up in the morning to find that I have reviews from you and reading though them.

And I know that Kagome is spending a lot of time with just Shoji right now but don't worry to all you Sess/Kag fans out there! They are going to be getting their time as well soon!

That being said, lets keep this going, I loved hearing your ideas before so until the very end when we figure out who she's going to end up with, I want to keep hearing who you want her to be with and who you think she will end up with! I still have no idea! I really love Sesshy and I want her to be with him, but at the same time every chapter that goes by I'm finding myself falling more and more in love with Shoji and the idea of her being with him! Well at this rate I might have to write two different endings!


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**The Good of the Many Outweigh the Needs of the Few.**

Once the training was over for the day Kagome found herself trapped by a over enthusiastic Shippo, trying to show her the couple of new tricks he had learned, one of them being, how to hide his tail. She couldn't help but laugh about it seeing as he acted as if she hadn't been there watching the whole time. But she didn't stop him none the less. And once he was done he ran of yelling something about going to show Rin as she stood there smiling, how she loved the little kit.

It wasn't until Shippo's little form had disappeared completely that she notice Shoji was now standing beside her and offering his arm to her. **"How about a walk down the path in the garden for some relaxation?"** He asked her with his ever loving grin but it faded a bit when she shook her head but took his arm anyway. **"Actually, I think a trip to speak with Sesshomaru is in order."** She told him and he couldn't help but deflate some even if she was smiling. He still didn't like the idea and he had hoped she had forgotten about it.

But he nodded to her none the less and started to lead her out and into the halls where they took a few turns before stopping in front of the doors that was starting to become familiar to her and she reached her hand out and knocked on it. **"Enter."** Came the cold voice of the man inside and Shoji opened the door for her before leading her inside and to the seat where he didn't let go of her hand until she had sat down. Only then did he step back but he didn't leave the room, he wouldn't, he wanted to be there to talk to Sesshomaru after, he was sure that she could find he way back to her room of the gardens, and if not he could have someone take her.

**"What can This Sesshomaru do for you Kagome?"** He asked her and she was taken back a little, he had actually called her by her name! It actually felt great, like she had gotten at least a little respect from the great demon lord.

**"I've come to share some information about myself in hopes that it will help you and everyone else in the long run."** She told him and watched as he raised a brow to her, she was starting to see a lot of that action between him and Shoji. **"And what information about yourself could be of any help to This Sessomaru?"** He asked her, he wouldn't let he know that she was actually making getting information much more easy, at this rate he might not even have to keep her there long. And he wouldn't have to worry about his top guard falling for a weak little human woman... Though that thought still bothered him for some reason, also the thought of having her leave.

Kagome took no offense to his question, if she didn't have something important to say she might have but as of now she was just wanting to help. **"I'm from the future, 500 years actually. And there are no demons that I'm seen or felt. Since your a lord I thought it would be right to let you know that. Maybe you can stop or prepare for whatever happened to all the demons from this time."** She told him.

Sesshomaru almost wanted to get angry, was this some sort of game the little miko was playing? He smelled no lies on her, and a look to Shoji and seeing no shock from him he knew that his guard already knew and he even guessed that it had been his idea for her to tell him, though looking at him now he didn't seem to happy about it and seemed to be watching the woman intently as if she was going to go up in a cloud of smoke. So he would believe the woman for now. **"How did you get here then?"** He asked her and listened as she went off on a story about the well in Inuyasha's Forest and how she's been traveling back and forth though there since she had broken the jewel into shards that was scattered all around. He found himself getting all the information that he could have thought about, but they just popped up even more question!

What was with this woman? Why is it that she could willingly give information about herself but then there was more questions? By the end of it he nodded. **"I'll think over your information and see what I can do."** He told her before dismissing her. Though as she got up he over heard Shoji asking her to wait for him in the garden and when she left he took her place in the seat. **"We can't do anything."** He told him and Sesshomaru found himself actually getting a head ache, what was his friend talking about? Of course they could do something! They could stop demons from disappearing completely no matter what it took. He would not be giving up what was his, and these lands and all the people on them, demon and human was his to look after. **"Explain."**

**"If we do something it could change history."** He said simply as if it was obvious but as his lord looked at him with what he had come to read as annyment he sighed. It was clear that was what he wanted was to change history, but changing it so that demons still lives wasn't what he had meant. **"If we change history, what happens to Kagome? There could be anything that happens from her not being born, her being killed, or her just not being pulled down that well."** He told him and it was as if Sesshomaru hadn't even thought of that.

After a few moments of silence he finally spoke up. **"This Sesshomaru can't take the life of one little miko over that of thousands of demons."** He told him and watched as Shoji just stared at him as if he had grown a second head. He could see the augments before he even started and if he wasn't him he would have sighed as Shoji started in on him. Who would have thought that he would have fallen for a little human woman so quickly, it had only been a couple days and yet he acted as if he needed to protect her from everything.

He himself had to admit, the thought of doing something that would end in the miko's life ending did bother him more then he wanted to admit, but there was nothing he could do about it. He had to do what was best for his own people, not a human woman who really shouldn't have even been in this time anyway.

**~~~~~In the Gardens.~~~~~~**

Kagome hadn't been there long she had just been relaxing against the railing of the little bridge that went over the koi pond when she heard someone come up behind her. Well, it hadn't taken that long for Shoji to get back to her it seemed, and that was look because she had seen clearly that he hadn't liked her telling Sesshomaru what she did and not mentioning the fact that it was a risk to herself. But to her, she didn't care that it was a risk to her. She was be saving a whole race of people that in her time was just thought of as being fairy tales. She could live with her life changing or even death for that. And she had wanted to explain that to him.

But before she could turn to face him a arm came around her waist from behind her and lifted her up before taking off down the path. Letting out a little laugh about it after her shock wore off she just happened to have glanced down to see that the color of his normal blue color sleeve was red instead... She felt her heart stop in her chest and she looked back and there she saw white hair, dog ears, and yellow eyes. Right away she started to struggle to get away from him, though when he stopped and dropped her to the ground she noticed that they was near the river, but not the part of it that the path normally lead to.

Quickly she scrambled to her feet and while facing him backed away, ready to make a dash for it. Inuyasha looked angry, and was watching her as if she was his prey that he had been hunting. Before she could actually turn and run though something caught her attention. Just behind him from out of the woods came Kikyo, and while that normally would have made her run anyway out of fear of both of them that was just radiating off of her, she saw in the woman's arms, being held as if he was a baby, was Shippo who seemed to be sleeping. How had they gotten Shippo!

**"Let him go, give him to me, please!"** She called to her and then looked to Inuyasha for even a ounce of the old him that wouldn't allow anyone to do something like this to her or Shippo. But what was looking back at her was just cold hatred. How had she ever trusted him? When she saw that they wasn't just going to give him back to her she looked back to Kikyo and let out a growl that would put a demon to shame. **"I'll kill you, you bitch!"** She told her as she started to charge forward to the clay woman so that she could get her son away from her. But as she got about a foot away from being able to reach them she found herself pinned to a tree by the man she had thought she loved before.

His clawed hand was around her throat as he growled at her and she noticed that his eyes had turned red as he glared down at her. Right away she started to try and fight him, tears streaming down her face, but the more she fought, the tighter his grip got on her and she could feel as her air was cut off and the tips of his claws dug into the sides of her neck and soon she found herself gasping for breath.

It wasn't until a growl was heard on the other side of this small clearing that Inuyasha seemed to loosen his grip and look back at who it was. Kagome also let her gaze fall on the person crouched there, ready to attack him.

Shoji had came storming out of Sesshomaru's office when her aura was just suddenly gone, he had been expecting the worse, that she had just disappeared, but as he made it to the garden and followed her scent he smelled the half demon he had met only a couple of days ago and he felt his inner demon stir. With a quick flair of his aura to let Sessomaru know there was something wrong he took off into the woods to find her.

Though when he came upon her he was having to fight hard to keep his inner demon at bay as it thrashed around inside him. He was just about ready to lunge at the half demon who dared to touch what was his when her fourced, choked voice came to his ears. **"Sh-Shippo! Get Shippo."** She begged him and he looked to where the woman was holding him near the river, he knew that Kagome was a strong person, and though his demon was telling him to save her right now, he listened to her and was about to jump the the woman and take him from her when she just casually tossed the sleeping child into the raging river.

Kagome could believe what she had just saw. As she screamed the hand around her tightened, cutting it off and causing her to be able to make no other sounds besides the sounds of her struggling to take in breaths. Tears was streaming down her face as she watched Shoji dive into the rive in search for her kit. He had to be okay! He just had to! She didn't care if Inuyasha killed her right now, as long as her kit was alright.

Sesshomaru made it to the clearing where he saw no Shoji, only his half brother the undead woman he associated with, and the little miko who he had accepted into his pack for the time as she started to lose consciousness. She would be dead soon if he didn't let her go, but the claws that he had pushed into her flesh showed that he he tried to pull him away from her, he would only rip out her throat. He would just have to kill his brother... What a waste.

Just as he pulled out Tokijin and was about to charge forward and slice his brother in half for touching Kagome out left Shoji, soaking wet from the river with the little kit in his arms. While he was distracted for the time Inuyasha had let her go and as she fell to the ground had grabbed Kikyo before running off, knowing that they was out numbered now to do what they needed to do.

While Shoji worked on waking Shippo He watched Kagome carefully as Sesshomaru made his way over to her and knelt down beside her, putting his arm behind her back and sitting her up to look her over. There was blood running down the sides of her neck, four cuts on one side and one on the other and he could already see the dark bruise coming up on her pale skin.

His attention was soon take by Shippo though as he woke and instead of being confused, it would seem that whatever spell he had been under, he still at least partly know what was going on around him so when his eyes opened they wasn't the bright green they normally was, instead his demon had taken over and as he finally woke his face and body started to change, it seemed the spell making him sleep was the only think that kept him from changing to his animalistic form. As e growled he was soon changed to a fox, he was larger then what a normal grown fox would be, about the side of a large dog and instead of his one tail, he had two now. His fur was reddish brown with white paws and under belly and white tips on his tails. His paws and tail tips was surrounded by his blue fox fire as he shot up and looked around for who he was looking for, though he didn't find Inuyasha and Kikyo, he did find his mother.

As Kagome started to wake up different things became apparent to her. One was that she was sitting up instead of being help to the bark of a tree by Inuyasha, and two, there seemed to be something large a furry on her that she had her arms around. Then the sounds came, it was mostly quiet besides a whimpering in her ear and she noticed that something wet was running across the side of her neck. As she opened her eyes she finally had sight, though it was blurry at first to soon fixed its self and she was looking up to golden eyes looking down at her and she almost screamed, but then she made the connection that it wasn't Inuyasha, but Sesshomaru.

Looking down at herself she notice what was on her, a large fox with two tails resting behind it over her legs and it was whimpering and licking the side of her neck. She didn't know how she knew but she knew it was her kit and tightened her grip on him, happy to know that even though he was wet, and in his animalistic form, he was okay. And then a quick look to the side of her she so Shoji who was looking down at her in worry and she let a small smile come to her face before opening her mouth to tell him she was okay.

But the only thing that came out was a strangled sound followed by a pained sob. She couldn't speak, it caused a horribly painful burning feeling, swallowing did much of the same thing and even her breathing was shallow. **"Do not try and speak."** Came the cold voice of Sesshomaru and she looked up to him and gave a small nod, though even that hurt.

Looking to Shoji Sesshomaru spoke up again. **"Take Kagome and the kit back to the palace and to her room to rest."** He told him and waited for Shoji to not and reach forward, replacing his arms with his own and then letting his over one slip behind her knees before picking them both up without a problem and heading back to the palace, he was going slowly for her own comfort but also as quickly as he could.

As Sesshomaru was left there he looked towards where his brother had gone. Things had gotten even more hectic now, he would have to inform the guards of this and tell them that they was to kill his brother and his clay miko on sight, there was no way he was going to let him get anywhere near her again. Now that he was alone, he didn't even stop the possessive growl that came out as he thought about the sight of seeing his filthy half brother laying a finger on the miko.

AN:

Okay guys, a couple of announcements! One is I'm going to be changing the story from Sessh/Kag to Kag/Any until it's come up in the story of who she is going to end up with then I will change it or keep it that same depending on which one she ended up with.

Second, I'm expecting the internet to be shut off sometime in the next week or so. That being said, chapters will not be coming in as quickly because I'll be having to use the computers at the library until I get it all worked out, and I'm sorry for that.

And that's all for now, I hope you guys enjoy this one, I ended up having to write the last half of it twice because of a power out and some things was changed from the first time because of that. But I hope it's still good and it's not to obvious that it was written at two different times.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**Silence is a Virtue**

The whole time, Shoji hadn't said a word as he carried Kagome and Shippo back to the palace and to her room, he couldn't. His inner demon was still bashing against it's cage to get out and go hunt down the mutt and his bitch who dared to try and touch her, and the kit.

He didn't completely understand his feeling, for the kit he did, it was only natural to want to protect one of your own kind, mainly when they was only a child, but her, he guessed he could use the excuse that these feelings came from the fact that it was his job to make sure her and the kid was safe. But he knew that was just that, and excuse. He cared for the little miko, already. He had only been around her for a couple days and yet not only him, but his beast was acting as if she was his long lost mate.

So lost in his own thoughts he almost didn't noticed the little strained sounds that came from the young woman in his arms but he looked down and saw that she was looking up at him with questioning eyes and opened her mouth to try and speak again only for the only sound to come out was one of pain and scratchiness. **"Shhh, don't talk. You will only harm yourself more."** He told her with a small reassuring smile to calm the worried look on her face.

But as she looked down at the kit in her arms then back up to him he realized that she wasn't worried for herself, but her kit. He didn't blame her, he had just told her that morning that when a demon went into their animalistic form without proper trainer it could be very hard for them to come out of it, and he knew that what she wanted to know was if he would go back to normal or stay like that.

**"He will be fine. His inner beast came out to fight for you, now that it sees you are fine it will be calm and eventually go back in on its own and Shippo will take his normal form again. Right now his worry for you and the worry that he might come back keeps him like that, but it wont be long."** He explained to her in a soft and caring voice and watched as she gave him a smile that he could almost read as a thank you.

Kagome hated the fact that she couldn't speak, but she supposed with demons who seemed to almost be able to read her mind it wasn't so bad, but she was the type that hated silence, and hated not talking when she wanted. So after giving him a little smile she sighed and rested a little more comfortably in his arms, her head leaning to the side to rest against his chest as her eyes closed just as they stepped in from the garden.

She felt so tired, though she supposed maybe thats what happened when you passed out? She did remember feeling almost the same other times she had passed out, only with the added annoyance of a super bruised and crushed throat.

It only seemed as though she had been resting her eyes for a second when she head a door slide open, then closed and soon she felt herself being put down onto the bed in her room. She opened her eyes as she felt him pulling his arm from under her to leave her there and as he freed his arm she allowed one arms to let Shippo go as he continued to lick and nuzzle into her neck and reached out to grip Shoji's forearm.

He had just been ready to tell her to get some rest and pull the blanket up over her and the kit when he felt her grab his arm and looked to her again. What he saw was a scared young woman who with her eyes, was pleading him to stay with her. He could have told her that there was no way that Sesshomaru would let that same mistake of the half breed getting on this land happen again, but he noticed right away that his beast settled down and a small pleased growl left him, rumbling his chest. And regretted that right away when she drew her hand away from him with a shocked and confused looked.

She wasn't a demon, she didn't know the difference between growls, he should have thought of that! So he gave her his famous sly grin and patted her hand to let her know that he was okay. **"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I didn't growl at you because of anything bad, was simply trying to comfort you."** he told her.

Soon a smile came over her face and he turned slightly, not taking his hand from hers and sat beside her on the bed, instead of pulling the blanket over her and Shippo his long white tails came to rest on the both of them. **"Get some rest. I'll be here."** He told her and it wasn't long before she had drifted to sleep, snuggled up to Shippo, who he could already feel his inner beast starting to recede, and one of his tails that she had turned to use almost like a pillow, and he found that he didn't mind.

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Kikyo & Inuyasha~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

**"That bitch!"** He pretty much growled as he passed back and forth, Kikyo simply watched him from her seat on a cushion at a small table before calmly picking up the small cup of hot tea and taking a sip.

**"Calm down, we will get her, don't worry yourself over it my love."** She said in her sweetest voice, but it still seemed rather dead even to her own ears. But she knew it didn't matter, he knew she was happy with how things was going. As soon as they got the right chance, not only would Kagome be dead, as she should have been from their original plan, but she would have her whole soul back and could finally do the ritual to get a real, living body. "As long as they do not know about out secret weapon, they don't stand a chance."

She almost felt like smiling as he came up behind her and lifted her just enough as he sat down so that she now sat in his lap and could feel as he pressed his nose to her neck and breathed in deeply and seemed to calm right away against her back. **"You're right. There is no way that wanna be copy of you could ever stand a chance against us."** She couldn't help the laugh that came from her at this. It sounded so cold, and just wrong and evil, but she was just happy that she have him there with her and willing to do anything for her like a good dog.

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sesshomaru~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Sesshomaru had spent some time just looking around, making sure that his half brother and his undead wench was no where around there waiting for another attack, and to his surprise they seemed to have just vanished, though he supposed that shouldn't have surprised him to much. With how Kagome told him how she started the fires before, he wouldn't be surprised at all if the former miko was now working in the dark arts of witches and dark mikos and had a trick like that up her sleeve.

But once he made sure they was really gone he made his way back and made sure to tell everyone his orders to not let anyone in without coming to get him first, and if any of them saw Inuyasha or his undead bitch they was to attack them on sight and have someone come and get him.

Once all this was over he made his way inside, he had planed to simply go to his study and get some work done, but something was still eating at him in the back of his mind to go and stay by the mikos side. So he instead went right by his study and to the guest quarters, the moment he came to Kagomes door he opened it without knocking and was greeted with a fiercely protective growl from his head guard before he seemed to realize it was him and calmed.

The sight he saw for some reason angered him, there was Shoji, sitting on the bed, with the miko sleeping with Shippo, but what got him was the fact his tails was laying on her like a blanket and she was even cuddled up to one as she slept. He knew for a fact that the tails was one of the more sensitive parts of a kitsune, and so they rarely let anyone even touch them, hell, some had been known to kill someone for even looking at them as if they wanted to touch them. It was a very intamate thing for them.

But he suppressed the growl that wanted to come forth, telling himself that this was what he wanted, he wanted them to get close so that he had a reason to keep her here and figure her out. But he still didn't like it. **"Shoji."** He stated simply, nothing different on his face or in his voice to show what he was feeling. **"I need you to go and look within a twenty mile radius of here for any sign of them. I'll stay here with the girl and kit while your gone."**

Shoji got a feeling within him to snarl and demand he stay there with his miko, she was hurt because of the last time he had let her out of his sight, but he knew that it was silly, he couldn't disobey a order, and there was nothing to worry about from Sesshomaru with her. He would watch after her. So he nodded and stood only to remember at the slight pull of his tail that not only did she have one of them, but he had promised her he would stay there with her. So bending over towards her he placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a little shake. She opened her eyes almost right away and gave him a sleepy little smile.

**"I have to go on patrol, I'll be back soon."** He told her softly with a smile, but as her own faded and worry took over he felt as she held to his tail a little tighter, not enough to hurt him, but so he knew she didn't want to be left alone. **"Sesshomaru in here, he will watch over you while I'm gone."** He told her and watched as she looked over to him and then smiled and looked back and let go of his tail. He regrettably swished it away from her before turning away and leaving the room, not shutting the door on the way out, he didn't know why, he just didn't like the thought of Kagome and Sesshomaru in a closed room by themselves.

As she watched him leave she couldn't help but sigh towards the empty door, she liked having him around, he was comforting. And believe it or not, just as talkative as she was so even though she couldn't talk right now, she knew that had she been awake he would have been talking to her and even understanding her silent side of it.

But as the door closed her unfocused eyes came into focus and she saw that the great demon lord, instead of simply waiting outside the door or even in the doorway, he had closed the door to stay in there with her. And if that wasn't surprising enough he started to make long confident strides over to her before sitting in the spot Shoji had been in only moments ago, and she couldn't help the shiver that went down her spine as he looked down at her, his face still of stone but with something swirling in his golden eyes that she couldn't place. **"Let me see your neck."** He told her and she was taken aback again that day by him for not first referring to himself in a third person, it almost made him seem a little more down to earth and all she could do was nod her head to him and roll over onto her back again.

As she did this Shippo seemed to move right along with her, to continue the licking of her neck where the claws had gone in so Sesshomaru still didn't get a good look. Reaching his hand out he went to pull the kit slightly away from her and was greeted by a protective growl from him. She saw that the demon lord didn't seem to get angry about this, no growl came from him or a demand, at least not a verbal one. But she did feel his energy flare. It didn't feel threatening even to her as most demon energy did and after a small whimper to show that he didn't really want to, Shippo stopped his licking and moved his muscle away so that he could see.

She almost wished he hadn't when she felt fingers touch her and another shiver ran up her spine, making her shiver as if she was cold. It wasn't from fear this time though, she couldn't explain it really, but it seemed that he thought it was from cold, or his moko moko did... Did that thing have a mind of its own or was it controlled by him? She didn't know but it reached out to her from behind him and seemed to slither off of him like a snake and made its way over her. But she couldn't get her eyes off of his even as he looked from her neck to his fluffier half then back as it seemed to wrap around her.

The open wounds had healed completely, he was sure it was thanks to a mix of her own miko powers and her kits healing saliva, but even if it was gone the kit still wanted to make her better, it was just to bad that he wouldn't be able to fix anymore that way and was really only just irritating the area now, he was sure that at this point it was even starting to become somewhat painful for the little miko to have him do that. So he looked to the kit who was watching his hand carful, ready to go right back to what he had been doing as soon as he took it away.

**"Kit."** He said, his voice had actually come out a little different then normal, almost like it would if he was gently trying to tell Rin something. And once he looked up to him with only his eyes he continued. **"You have done a very good job at healing her wounds, but if you keep on you will only be hurting her."** He told him and had he been anyone else, he would have wanted to laugh when the fox growled at him, but since he was Sesshomaru he just let out a little sigh before moving his hand from her neck and onto the kits large head, with a quick shot of his energy he was able to do two things. He was able to get the child's inner beast back into its cage, causing his to change back to his child form in a blaze of foxfire that burned nothing around him, and put him to sleep.

Though as soon as the miko realized what he had done he could smell the worry from her as she pulled the kit to her. He simply looked back to her neck, looked at only that as he spoke. **"He is just sleeping. That was the easiest way for him to change back. If it was up to his beast he wouldn't have until you was completely better."** He told her simply in a calm voice that somehow didn't sound as cold as usual, and he wanted to kick himself for that.

What the hell was wrong with him! This miko was nothing to him. As he placed his fingers around her throat to see how tinder the area was he realized that he could just kill her now if he wanted. Who needed answers at the risk of ones own sanity? But said loss of sanity stopped him before he could even try. Well that, and the fact the miko had been brave enough to place her hand on his as she looked up at him.

When he looked to her blue eyes he saw there was slight tears from the pain he was causing, but that wasn't why she had placed her hand on his, it was only to get his attention, and as soon as she did she took it away and used it to act as if she was writing with something. He supposed she wanted something to write on, could she really be able to write as well as read?

He was just about to call for someone to go and get a blank scroll and a inkwell when she pointed to the corner of the room to her large yellow bag. When he looked back to her, her eyes was almost pleading with him to just bring it over to her. Maybe she had something in there to write with already? That seemed like a rather bad place to keep ink at, it could spill and that ugly yellow back could become spotted with black.

But he got up anyway and went to the corner, picked it up by the straps on the back and brought it back over. He noticed that as he had gotten it she moved herself around, moved the kit to sleep on the other side of the bed and sat herself up. He could feel that she had tried to take the moko moko off of her, but it wouldn't let her go so she had simply let it stay on her lap and wrap around her waist.

As he sat back down on the side he placed the bag in front of her and she started to dig through it right away, pulling out different things that he didn't really recognize. But he would ask her about it all, but first. He flared in energy and almost right away a older servant opened the door and bowed to him. **"Bring some mint tea for the miko."** He said simply without even looking to the woman and knew she would do as she was told as the door closed and he hears her steps heading away from them.

By the time she got everything she wanted out she had a text book and a notebook open on her lap and a pen in her hand ready to start some school work that she had put off much to long. After all, she didn't want to try and have a entertaining conversation with Sesshomaru, or maybe it was because she did and she was trying to run away from the strange feeling she had gotten with him there touching her and checking up on her. "What are these things?"

Breath caught as she looked up at him wide eyed, thankfully he was looking at her things and not her though because she couldn't help her reaction. He had sounded so much like a curious child just then, not the cold killing perfection. But she quickly caught herself and flipped her notebook to the back few pages and started to write something, once she was done she handed it to him with a little smile and watched as he took it and read it.

So the woman could write? And it seemed she was using it to answer his question, though he still didn't completely understood things. A textbook? Pen? Notebook he supposed was pretty self explanatory, it was something to take notes in, it was the thing he was holding now that seemed to be bits of a scroll cut up and put back to back like a book with lines to write on, so he guessed the other book was the 'textbook' and the thing she was using to write was a 'pen'? Giving her back what she called a notebook he looked to the pen then back to her. "How are you writing with that thing without a inkwell?"

A little more scribbling and no inkwell still, was it magic of some sort? As he was handed the notebook again he was also handed the pen and took both. So the ink was inside of this thing? He started to look at it, he could smell ink in it, though it smelled a little different then the ink he was used to and seemed to be thicker and stick to the paper much better. In the tip of the pen where the ink came out he could see that it didn't drip or anything, it would only come out when it was used to write and he couldn't help but to take it and write with it himself, nothing great, he simply signed his name to the bottom of the page she was writing on. It was smooth and much more easy to work with and his signature came out even more perfect then it ever had before.

This continued for quite awhile, he was kind of like a curious puppy she found out. And because of this her time wasn't spent in silence and she hadn't even noticed that she was smiling as she explained different things. The servant with the tea had come and gone and though Kagome normally didn't like mint, and she was sure it would hurt her throat, it actually helped to sooth it and took away some of the pain, though she still couldn't talk without it reversing it again.

Shoji sighed as he finally got back, it had been hours even though he wanted to hurry he knew he couldn't, not only because it was his job, but because he wanted to make sure Kagome was really going to be safe. But he was happy that he was back now, he could go back and watch his little miko sleep tonight, it was already dark and he had missed dinner but he hoped she had not, though he wasn't sure what she would actually be able to eat. Well even if she hadn't he was sure she was at least resting comfortably.

Or he figured she would be, but as he made his way closer to her room he could hear things moving around in there and see that there was burners going in there to light the room. **"You mean to try and poison me miko?"** He heard the voice of his lord, though he sounded weary of the girl, he seemed to be speaking more freely and he couldn't help but wander what he had meant by that. But what he really didn't like, was that the door was closed and they was in there alone.

Walking up he opened the door and what he saw... Well he really didn't know what to think of it. All over the bed was things he didn't know, his lord was sitting on the bed with Kagome who had his moko moko draped over her shoulders for warmth, and she was trying to put something in his mouth? He had never before gotten the feeling that he wanted to fight his lord and best friend before, but now he did. And what made it worse was he had ignored the fact he had even came in, both of them had, though he was sure Kagome just hadn't noticed him.

That may have been because she was leaning forward with a big bright smile, trying to put some sort of small brown piece of something into his mouth. Of course Sesshomaru didn't look amused by this at all, and he couldn't help but think that he could and would kill her if she continued. But before he could get his attention to him instead, Sesshomaru went to open his mouth to speak and the moment he did she quickly placed it in there and yanked her hand back as if she was scared he would take off a finger with it.

Sesshomaru could feel the displeasure radiating off of Shoji and was just about to acknowledge him so that maybe the miko would forget about trying to make him try something she called chocolate, but as he did he suddenly tasted something and his normally calm eyes went wide. He was ready to spit out the damned thing when he realized that not only would that make him look rather silly and childish, but it was actually pretty good. So instead he closed his mouth and let it melt in his mouth as he chewed it until it was gone.

And once that was done he didn't even have to say anything to Shoji because Kagome looked over with a big smile, waved at him and broke off another piece of the stuff and put it into her own mouth before offering him one too.

Stepping forward, a small smile now on his face now that he had her attention instead of Sesshomaru. He sniffed at what she was holding out to him before raising a brow to her. **"What is this stuff?"** He asked her but it was Sesshomaru who answered because of course she couldn't. **"She calls it chocolate. Some sort of sweet food from her time."** He supplied, and seeing as it hadn't killed him, nor had he killed her for making him eat it, he reached out, took it, and popped it into his own mouth.

He couldn't help the big smile that came to his face, it really was rather good for something that was human food. The only thing that made him even more happy was when Sesshomaru stood and walked towards the door, and without even looking back said, **"We will talk more about your time when you can actually speak."** And then just walked out shutting the door behind him. Though it would have made him even more happy had he taken his moko moko, he knew there was no way he forgot it, he could feel everything it felt after all.

Kagome just nodded and it wasn't until he had left and shoji sat down and started to help her put things away that she noticed that there was a fluffy white boa still holding onto her. She tried to take it off, she really did, but it just wouldn't let her go. Even Shoji, having seen her trying reached for it, but quickly yanked his hand back as if it had just shocked him and growled at it. He didn't say anything else about it but he didn't seem pleased ether. So she just shrugged her shoulders about it to try and show that it wasn't that big of a deal and gave him a smile, and he smiled back even though he still didn't like it.

Once everything was put away and the bag back in the corner she seemed to finally notice just how tired she was and rested her head on the pillow again. He couldn't help but feel a swelling in his chest as her eyes fluttered closed. She really was a beauty. He also couldn't help himself as he pulled the blanket over her and Shippo as he leaned down and placed his lips onto her forehand and as he pulled back he saw that she was smiling and had gripped his hand sleepily. **"Sleep well little Kagome."** He told her but didn't move to leave, instead he sat himself down and let her hold onto him as he listened for her breathing to slow to show she was sleeping.

**AN:**

Hey everyone! I'm SOOOO sorry it's taken so long, I've had no internet and the library wouldn't let me use a usb drive so I had no way to update for you! But I've been working on it even though I couldn't with the hope that I would be able to someday. Finally I was able to convince him to let me do it! So I've started to edit past chapters, mostly just spelling errors, but the first one dose have a little bit that was changed.

I hope you still enjoy the story and I hope you give lots of reviews!

Love you all! 3


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**The Need to get Away and the Need for Love.**

The next couple days was spent with Kagome going completly crazy with bordom! She couldn't talk so she couldn't even tell everyone who made sure she stayed in her room at all times in bed as nicely as possible, to fuck off and let her do something! Anything! But as she woke up on the third day and streatched with a big yawn she noticed that not only did it not hurt near as much as it used to, but she was alone in the room. It was probually time for breakfast, Shoji usually took Shippo to eat and she was forced to wait there for her own to get there.

Not today! Quickly she hopped out of bed and made her way to her wardrobe where she quickly changed into a nice simple kimono, it was green and blue, mostly blue with green leaves falling down it and gathering at the bottom and around the openings of the sleaves. Okay, maybe it wasen't super simple, but it was the simplest in the bunch.

Once dressed she made her way to the door, opening it only enough to peek her head out and look down both ends of the hall and couldn't help but smile at the fact that there was no one. Everyone seemed to be busy or eating so she quickly stepped out, shutting the door behind her and quietly made her way down the hall.

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~In the dining room~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

It was again rather quiet, the only talking coming from Shippo and Rin, but even they was shushed, it would seem everyone there had gotten used to Kagome coming in and talking to everyone and her group at least seemed to still be worried that if they so much a breathed to hard Sesshomaru would rip their heads off. And he had to say, he didn't care, let them think what they wanted, it just gave him more quiet time, or at least it would if his beast would just shut up. Every since that night that he had watched over Kagome, he couldn't get it to just leave him be, and didn't know what it's probblem was!

And as if that wasen't enough as the door opened he looked over to see the woman who was the cause of it all, followed by her personal servent. **"Lady Kagome, you should be in your room, your breakfast is already in there."** She said to her and then noticed that she had followed her right into the dining room and bowwed to him and everyone else. **"I'm sorry my lord, she left her room before I got there."** She told him, expecting to be punished but instead they was all a little suprised when they heard a hoarse voice speak up.

**"I'm tired of being in there, and if I have to eat more broth I'll be sick!"** She pouted crossing her arms ovver her chest. And Sesshomaru almost smiled, almost. Now this was more like her! Defiant and active. **"Your dissmissed."** Sesshomaru said and the servent quickly got up and hurried out of the room and as soon as the door was closed again he waved to the only free seat to his right and watched as she smiled and walked over and took a seat.

**"Kagome, you should still be resting."** Came the voice of Shoji and he just watched as she glared at him, effectivly shutting him up to look at her friends who just shrugged their shoulders. But his attention was completly on her and he thought of the fact that he should just get rid of her as his beast started to become more active, wanting him to act on something he didn't really understand.

But he really couldn't just kick her out with no place to go, and he did have more things he needed answered. He had been thinking on it for the past couple days, and he not only wanted her gone so his beast would shut up, but to get Shoji away from her. He simply chalked that up to the fact his idea had been a bad one and if they got to close he could loose his head guard to a filthy human. **"I'm glad you're feeling better miko, we need to discuss your living arrangments."** He told her simply, looking back to his meal so he wouldn't have to see the look on her face, though he could still smell the worry on her.

Shoji was ready to jump up and demand what he meant by that, he could also smell the worry on her and didn't blame her, she had no place to go and with Inuyasha out there no place but here was safe. **"I'm not really hungry, so we can talk as soon as you're done."** She told him and he looked to her, her head was down and had a look on her face that he hated to see on her, he wanted his miko to be happy.

Kagome didn't really know what this was about but she wouldn't blame him for wanting her to leave, after all, she was sure she had over stayed her welcome, even if he had said she could stay while she and Shippo trained he had the right to chang his mind, so as he stood she did as well and followed him out, but she did notice that Shoji was right behind her. And as they made it to the study she took a seat and Shoji stayed near the door as Sesshomaru took his place on the other side of the desk.

He was silent for awhile, fighting with his beast over what he was doing. He would show his inner beast that he was the one in control, not it. **"Miko, I understand that I told you that you could stay here while training, but some things have come to my attention and I feel that it might be best if the training was postponed. I've contacted a shrine and the miko there agreed that she would train you with your spirtral powers, I even have a place near there where you can stay. Once you are able to better use your powers, then we will figure out about the rest of your training."** He told her and watched her, she looked crushed and he clearly heard the growl that came from Shoji.

But she quickly hid her feeling about this with a smile. **"Thank you Lord Sesshomaru. I will train hard so that your work to make this happen isen't in vain... I'll go and get my things ready."** She said quickly before standing and leaving, closing the door behing her without her little fox demon shaddow behind her.

Shoji waited till he knew she wouldn't hear anything before he let another, louder growl come from him as his eyes narrowed on his freind. **"Why would you do that? You know just as well as I do that there is no reason she would have to leave."** He told him, he wanted to just cut him down right now.

**"You mean besides the fact that she keeps my hands tied when it comes to you?"** He asked and he had no idea what he was talking about so he sighed and started to explain it. **"Your job was to protect her from people who would get to close to her and try to mate her, and yet you are doing just that, getting to close to her. I can't even get you to go and do other things without having to smell your disspleasue of having to do something else other then play with that filthy human miko."** He said coldly and didn't finch when Shoji growled at him again.

**"Your dissmissed, go and say goodbye to the miko."** He stated before directing his attention to a scroll and pretending to read it. It wasen't until Shoji left, slamming the door behind him did he let his mask drop with a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. what was he doing? Why should he care that Shoji seemed to be close to the girl, he had wanted that at first after all, but the closer they got, the more his own beast raged and tried to break out of its cage to get what it wanted. It was just to bad what it wanted was her, and there was no way he was going to follow in his fathers foot steps.

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Kagome's Room~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Kagome had just finished packing her last items when the door opened and before she could even turn to look at who it was the door closed and a hand on her shoulder turned her around and pulled her into a hard chest. She could feel him press his nose to the top of her head and breath in deeply. He had been getting more and more bold and she couldn't say that she didn't like it really. She needed to be comforted right now. He let out a sigh, tickling the top of her head when he did and though she couldn't see him she just knew that his eyes was closed. She just wrapped her arms around him as well.

**"I'm going with you and giving my possition to someone else."** He told her in a husky voice that sent chills down her spine and only made him hold her a little tighter. Why would he quit just to go with her to train, was he that worried about her. Something told her that wasen't the whole reason, that he knew something she didn't but she still shook her head.

**"No, I'll be fine, really. I'll go and do my training and I'll see you again soon. After all, he said my training would be postponed, not Shippo's. You still have to train him."** She told him, trying to reasure him of something she wasen't even sure of. **"Besides, I'm sure Lord Sesshomaru has a good reas..."**

She was cut off when he growled. **"He dosen't."** He said in clipped tones. He hated this, how dare he try and take her away from him. He didn't have a problem with her, just that he was getting close to her and that was none of his busness. If he didn't know better he would belive his inner beast right when it felt like Sesshomaru wanted her for himself. But Sesshomaru hated humans, all but little Rin and from what he was told Rin was the only reason he had even helped Kagome, and she was still here because of her information about her time.

She pulled away from him, but becuase he wasen't ready to let her go she only got far enough to look up at him with a little smile and those shining blue eyes. **"Shoji..."** Her voice was no more then a little whisper and he knew what she was going to say before she even did. She was going to tell him it was okay again and that she would be fine. He didn't want to hear that though, so without even a little thought he suddenly found his lips crushed to hers with one hand behind her head in her hair to hold her there, and he knew right away that it was a little to hard but he couldn't help himself as he closed his eyes.

Kagome was more then a little suprised when he gave her the second kiss in only a few days. It wasen't really gentle like it had been the first time, it was rough and needy. And as he started to move his lips she found herself doing the same and kissing him back as her own eyes closed. The growl he let out rumbbled though his chest under her hands where they rested on it and she felt dizzy. So as his tounge ran along her lips she gasped, giving him his way in and he took it. His tounge darted in and right away started to explore her mouth.

His grip on her tightened even more on the back of her head and his other hand found its way to the small of her back and pressed her against him. He just coulden't control himself anymore, she tasted just like she smelled and so much more. And as a spicy sent wafted up to his nose he let out another growl and nipped at her lower lip before moving to the side of her mouth and starting to trail kisses down her jaw and to her neck. **"Shoji..."** She sounded raspy and breathless and again a growl was pulled from him. It was like there was nothing else in the world and he wanted her right then and there. If he made her his right now he would have to ether go with her, or she would have to stay.

**"Shoji... Stop."** She said and he froze. Her sent told him that she wanted him, even the way she spoke told him that. But it was then that he noticed that she had been pushing him to try and get him to stop. He lifted his head to look at her and could even see the lust in her hazy blue eyes, but there was also a worry there. He gave her a little reasuring smile. He needed her, he and his beast was both in agreeance of this.

**"Kagome."** He said as he looked down into her eyes. **"I need you."** He said and his head dipped back down to her neck where he started kissing her again and pulling her against him, only pausing in his kisses to whisper huskly in her ear. **"Please, I can't just let you go..."** He was begging her to just let him take her, he would mate her right there and march into Sesshomaru's office and demand that he let his new mate stay, or he would quit. But she continued to push at him.

**"Sho, your a sweet guy, but I'm just not that type of girl, I've only known you for a few days."** She tried to explain to him and get away from him so that he and she could both actually think right without the lust effecting them. But it was clear he wasen't going to give up that easy as he held her to him tighter and along with his kisses started to nip at her neck every so often saying something to her like, 'please', 'I need you', and how he would take care of her and how he would never hurt her. And she belived him, but she just wasen't ready for this, and had she known that it wasen't just sex he wanted, but to actually mate her, and what it meant to mate with a demon, she would have been fighting him even more then what she already was.

Nether of then had heard the door slide open so Sesshomaru got a good show of what was going on, at first he had been infuriated at both of them, but as he realized that she was gently trying to calm him down and telling him no, that turned to him just being plain discusted at Shoji. He smelled no intent to harm her, or take her without her wanting it, but he was trying his best to get her to accept him. A loud growl left him as he spoke up. **"The miko told you no, act like the man you are, not the animal."** That got him to stop, but not to let her go. He only held her to him and looked to Sesshomaru and he saw the fash of red eyes before they faded to normal. And as Kagome pat his chest he looked to her and seemed to see just how uncomfortable she was for the first time and reluctantly let her go.

Kagome coulden't take the blush off her face, she was so uncomfortable with what he had been doing and trying to do, and it only changed to embarassment when Sesshomaru had caught them... Or had he saved her? She was so confused and light headed right now. **"I'm sorry Kagome..."** She looked back to Shoji and almost felt bad for telling him no, the poor guy looked like he was scared to death she would hate him for trying so hard to get her. So she gave him a smile and a quick hug. **"I'll see you later."** She promissed him before picking up her bag and heading towards Sesshomaru. As she walked by him and into the hall he turned aswell and placed a hand on her shoulder to lead her.

Shoji could only watch and hate Sesshomaru a little more. He was taking her away from him, and he had stopped him from convencing her to be his. As they got farther away he growled in anger and knew that Sesshomaru had heard him. With a sigh all he could do was let his legs give out and sit on her bed. The room smelled like her and probually would for quite a long time. He didn't know when he would get to see her again, but he would see her again, even if Sesshomaru didn't know about it.

**AN:**

Hmm, Sesshomaru is not taking his feeling very well, and so is trying to be distructive and punish Shoji becuase he's actually accepting the feeling. It's not a verry good thing for freinds to fight over a girl, this story just got even more drama filled.

Well, Be sure to review and let know know what you think!

You guys are the best. :3

P.S. Sorry it's taking so long I'm getting them up when I can. I wasn't even able to edit this one so I hope it's not to bad. I promise to post when I can and even go back and edit things when things are less hectic!


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**A New Home.**

Sesshomaru could tell the miko was walking in a daze and was glad that he was efectivly steering her in the right direction with the hand on her shoulder or she would probably ether run into a wall or make a wrong turn. He was also glad that he had already informed her friends of this change and they had seemed rather happy about it, or at least all but Shippo and Rin who had become almost inseparable, but to please his ward he promised that he would be here almost every day. Even if he needed to get the miko away for now the kit did still need his training and so he would send Ah-Un to pick him up and bring him back everyday.

After all, the miko would be busy during the days trainer as well, and though he had found a miko willing to train her, just like all others the old woman had a hate for demons of any kind, to her they was all evil. So she couldn't really safely take her kit with her.

As they finally made it outside Kagome saw that her friends was already ready to go, Kirara in her larger form and Miroku and Sango already on her back. Just to the side of them, she couldn't help but smile, even though it was a somewhat sad smile, as she watched Rin give Shippo a ring of flowers by putting them around his neck and with a quick hug Shippo hopped up to sit on Miroku's shoulder.

She supposed she was the next to get her goodbyes from Rin because the girl ran right up to her and wrapped her arms around her waist and she reached down and hugged the girl back. **"Rin will miss you Kagome-chan..."** The poor girl was on the verge of tears but she still pulled back and gave her a big toothy grin. **"But Rin will see you again soon, she just knows it!"** It was great how a child could make you feel better. She smiled down at the little girl and patted the top of her head.

**"You're right, you'll see me again, and until then..."** She paused as she slid her bag off and placed it on the ground before she started to dig through it, it didn't take long to find what she was after and soon pulled out a small stuffed dog. She had gotten it so long ago she had forgotten about it. In fact it was just after the first time she met Rin, they had both been kidnaped and she found out that Sesshomaru had adopted her. She had planed to give it to her the next time she saw her, but that never really happened and had forgotten about it while she was here.

She had it made just for Rin from what she remembered Sesshomaru looked like in his animal form, it wasn't perfect, it didn't look mean and scary, that was for sure, it looked more like a sweet puppy. But it was fluffy, white, and had his markings on the face. **"You can have this."** Right away the girl took it and looked it over carefully and a big smile came other her face. **"It looks like Sesshomaru-sama if he was a real puppy!"** She squealed happily. Kagome couldn't help but laugh at that and nodded to the girl.

But the moment didn't last to long, soon she stood back up and placed her bag back on her back and she felt a arm snake around her waist and soon, instead of feeling the ground under her, she seemed to feel as though she was standing on air and looked down to see a cloud under her. **"Jaken, if anything should happen, you forfeit your life."** Said a cold voice just behind her to the little green toad demon standing to the side as if he was ready to go with them.

Sesshomaru had to admit, the gift she had given Rin was a surprise, it must have been something from her time, it was so well made, but how had something that looked like him been made if there was no demons in her time? He would have to ask the miko about it during the trip. Without warning he lifted into the air and once he was sure her group was following he started towards the village she would be staying at for now.

Once they was going at a good speed he noticed how she started to turn in his arm, trying her best to block her face from the cold wind that was assaulting it, and soon she found herself standing backwards and facing him, thankfully the moko moko was there so it helped to block the wind. **"Miko, where did you get that... thing, you gave my ward?"** He asked her simply, though he wasn't really sure what it was he should call it.

**"Oh, well when I first met Rin and found out she was yours, I figured while I'm sure you get her everything she wants, you wouldn't really be the type to get her something thats really most little girls want, and even if you would, that was something that you just couldn't. So I had Shippo draw and color a picture of you in that form by telling him what I remembered and I took that to my time and had it made into a stuffed animal. I had planed to give it to her long ago, but I guess I forgot about it."** She explained to him with a little smile, though he only saw it from the corner of his eye because he refused to actually look at her. Just having her this close to him was enough to make his inner beast purr in the back of his mind and he found himself wishing he had gotten Ah-Un for her to ride.

The rest of the trip was made in silence and as it went on, he found that she was getting more comfortable around him, and just tired of standing so she would start to lean into him more and more. Which it really wasn't even a long trip, it was just made a little longer because of the slower pace they was taking for the benefit of the humans who while wasn't actually doing anything but riding, the cold wind was something they couldn't handle as well. All in all, it took a couple hours before he started to see the village and the miko in his arm was resting her face on his moko moko, her eyes closed, and her arms wrapped around it, he supposed it was just so she was more comfortable in this position, and he found he was okay with it, it gave him a break from his normally raging beast.

As he started his decent she finally pulled her face away and started to look around. It was a nice little village, the largest thing was the shrine that she could see on the other side of where they was going, and where they was going was just outside the village, somewhat sepporated from the rest but not so much that it would be a long walk to get to. It was a rather large hut and from what she could see, it might even have more then one room inside. Outside to the side was a garden with herbs and flowers growing, there was even a cow? Well she guessed that was a good thing, it would be easy to get milk from it instead of having to buy or trade for it.

They settled down just in front of the place and as he let her go she stepped forward and as she pulled the mat on the front door away to look inside she heard Kirara land behind her someplace and Shippo came bounding off and ran between her legs inside to see as well. She had been right. The first thing she saw was a front room area, with a fire pit in the middle for cooking and heat, and she could see three more doors covered by mats that she was sure was bedrooms with smaller fire pits in them and bedding. **"Mama! Can I pick our room?"** Her kit asked her from the middle of the room, his tail, or now two tails ever since he had changed to his animal form, wagging behind him, he was so existed about the new place.

**"Of course hunny. Whichever one you want thats the one we will have."** She told him and right away he bounded off into one of them to check it out. She turned back to the others with a smile and bowed to Sesshomaru. **"Thank you, it's great."** She told him and he simply nodded. **"Now come miko, we will go to the shrine while your pack becomes antiquated with the place."** He informed her and turned to start towards the village.

He heard her as she jogged up to him and slowed to a walk once she was right beside him and with a glance he could see the smile on her face and feel the excitement coming off her in waves. She was ready to meet the woman who would be training her, it was just to bad he was sure she would be disappointed. The woman wasn't that strong really, but she knew everything there was about miko powers and how to use them. But she also hated demons like most did, and because she was older, there would be no changing her mind, even the little miko at his side couldn't pull that off.

But he was sure she would be fine. Because if there was one thing that humans loved more then they hated demons, it was money. And he had payed this woman well to train the miko, and knew that if she was to kill her for her being a 'demon lover', as the humans they was now passing in the village was calling her as they watched them and whispered among themselves, she not only would not get the rest of the payment, but he would have someone come and wipe this whole place out. And because she was not strong enough to, she wouldn't be able to stop them.

Kagome didn't say anything as she walked along, she just looked around this little village, smiling at the people as they gathered to see who the new people was. She really didn't get any smiles back, but she was sure that would change, after all, what could she expect with the demon lord there, most people in their right mind feared him. She would simply have to wait for him to leave to start to meet others there. After all, if she was going to be training there she was sure she would also be doing much of the same things as she did while Keade was training her, helping with the sick, births, and really everything else that could go wrong in the village.

She finally looked away from the people when they came to the bottom of a hill and she looked up to see the entrance of the shrine and the old woman in miko garb looking down at them. She didn't look that happy as she stood there, bent forward with old age and using a bamboo pole as a walking stick. But that didn't effect Kagome in the least who didn't miss a step or loose her smile, in fact it only grew as they made their way towards her.

Once they was right in front of her she bowed to the old miko. **"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet and train under you, I'm Kagome and this is Lord Sesshomaru."** She told the woman before coming up again and now that she was so close, she could see the hate in her eyes.

**"You introducing this thing like that girl is much like you trying to introduce to me a filthy animal, it is pointless and stupid."** The woman said in a hard voice that was warn down over time and Kagome couldn't help the shock that came other her face, he was the lord over the lands, but instead of doing like many, she was opening disrespecting him and she expected her chances of training to die before her eyes along with the old woman but instead when he reached out his hand he let a pouch of coin drop into her hand.

Sesshomaru couldn't say he didn't entertain the thought of killing this miko, there would be nothing she could really do after all, he could feel how weak she was and and was convinced she wouldn't even be able to harm the miko's kit. But if he did that he would have no one to train her and then what? The whole excuse to get her out was so she could train. He of course planed on honoring his word about her staying in the palace to train, but not now, not with his head guard falling for someone so simple, and his own inner beast wanting the woman for a night. Thats right, only a night, he had many women over the years that he would use and toss out, they was not worth it and he had no need or want to mate and have pups as of yet. So the thought of doing it again wasn't the problem, it was the fact she was a human.

That was one thing he refused, even just as a rut. Not only because of his father and the thought of half breed pups, but because they was weak. He didn't see how demons was able to even mate with them, or at least most of them. Demons, mostly the animalistic ones and depending on their species, was rather rough when it came to mating. Dogs being one of them. After all, coming from the people who enjoyed fighting with their mate to let off steam, it wasn't that surprising that in the bedroom it wouldn't be all cuddles and love. He didn't see how Inuyasha's mother had handled it really, he figured his father had just forced himself to be careful with the frail human.

**"Be here just after dawn girl."** Said the old woman before turning around to hobble away from them. And Sesshomaru let his self go back into his mind as they made their way back to her new hut. He couldn't help but think about the fact that while he would probably kill or at least seriously hurt the human who was walking beside him, not seeming quite as excited about her trainer anymore after meeting her teacher, Shoji, being a fox demon, actually wasn't a bad matching if one was okay with the matching of human and demon. Foxes tended to be more the the gental types. They was naturally calm and sneaky demons, they went about everything in a way that a dog demon would take on full force differently, so he assumed that they would be different in that respect as well.

But he still didn't like the thought of it. He had to stop his train of thought right there as he heard the growls in the back of his mind when thinking about the miko with anyone else besides his own thought of himself and her for a night.

Kagome wasn't near as happy as she had been about her training, there was something about that woman she just didn't like, and she had tried to say something about it to Sesshomaru, but the stoic demon lord didn't even act like he heard her, and she didn't know why, but instead of feeling like he was just ignoring her, she felt like he just hadn't heard her, even with his super hearing. And she could swear that even though his face never really changed, she could tell he was deep in thought. But that was a silly thought, she couldn't read him and never would be able to. He was simply not in the mood to hear her complain about it, and she wouldn't blame him for that. After all, he had payed for this just for her. It was rude to do so.

So she simply walked the rest of the way in silence and when they made it back to her new temporary place she was greeted with the sight of everything sitting outside, enjoying the sunlight that shown down on them, Miroku was meditating with his staff laying across his lap while Sango was polishing her own weapon and closer to the wood line she could see Kirara in her kitten form looking around and sniffing the ground until she finally jumped into a bush and out came a bird who was flying low to the ground until there was a poof and said bird turned out to be little Shippo who just laughed as he ran away from the fire cat who was chasing him.

The picture of the old days was almost perfect, her friends seemed to be much more comfortable then they had when staying with Sesshomaru where they seemed to think that he would kill them for breathing wrong. The only thing missing as she looked up to the branches of a near by tree was the red clad dog boy that she had come to believe was her friend and had even loved, she sighed. But she was brought out of her thoughts pretty quickly by a hard voice to her side and looked over to see that Sesshomaru was looking at her with a raised brow. **"Oh! I'm sorry, what did you say?"** She asked him, a little blush of embarrassment tenting her cheeks.

He actually sighed, and surprisingly, it wasn't because she hadn't been listening to him, but out of frustration of himself when more flashes came to his mind about a night with the miko and how he was sure he could make her blush just like she was now with the things he was thinking and how much he would like that. **"I asked what it was that you found unsatisfactory about this place."** He told her and watched as her blush faded and she blinked at him a couple times in her confusion, though it didn't seem to take long for her to realized that he could smell her disappointment with something.

**"Oh nothing! Really, this place is great, I was just thinking of something else."** She told him and seeing as he smelled no lies coming from her he left it at that with a nod. Now that things was settled he could finally leave and hopefully leave behind the thoughts that was plauging his mind. **"Very well, I will send Ah-Un to pick up the kit in the morning so that he may train while you do the same."** He informed her before his cloud formed below his feet and he was soon in the skys and heading back home, happy to be rid of the little miko for awhile.

**A/N:::**

Alright guys, this is another one that I haven't been able to edit. I'm finding out that I have a issue with people I know reading my stories, mostly because they feel the need to read them over my shoulder while I'm writing. And since the bf moved in with me, I've have no chance to edit or to even get new chapters done. So all that I'm posting up is chapters that I've had done for awhile. But I promise I'll try to stop being lazy and work on editing and new chapters, even if I have to wait till he falls asleep at night to do it!


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**Tethered Nerves, And The Hunt Is On Again!**

It had been about a week and Miroku and Sango were beginning to really worry for their friend. They had first thought that her new way of accepting everything was partly because of the demon lord, after all, they had also not wanted to anger him, or of both fear and respect for what he had done for her, and even them, he didn't have to bring her to them after all, or even let them come back with her. But as the days went on, they started to notice that her fiery attitude was still subdued. She was still accepting of everything, not once did she raise her voice to anyone about anything. She seemed to still only be a shell of what she once was, going thought the days on auto-polite. She would come home every day from trainer, tired and sometimes even limping. And after a couple days Sango had seen welts on her back when they went to the hot spring together.

She had asked her friend what had happened and was informed that when someone did something wrong, the old miko would use the cane pole she was always seen with as a punishment. One whack to the back. Trainer like that wasn't unheard of really, but it was rare and didn't stop her from offering her friend to find another miko that she could train under. After all, she was sure her friend didn't mess up as much as the welts would suggest she did. And she knew that the old miko had made it clear that she cared nothing for her because of the fact she was friends with demons and had even taken a fox kit as her own child, and was never one to keep quiet about it so everyone knew it.

But her friend had insisted that she had messed up in one way or another and wasn't being singled out by the old miko, and besides, Sesshomaru had paid good money for her to train under her. And since they both knew that the lord was the embodiment of protection, this miko had to be rather good for him to have chosen her. She had later told Miroku of this after Kagome had gone to bed and was glad to hear that she was not the only one worried for their friend and sister.

As the two sat outside they was surprised to see Kagome coming back with a little smile. It was still very early, she had only been gone a little over an hour. But she didn't seem worse off then when she had left at least. **"Lady Kagome, what has you back so soon?"** Miroku asked her with a smile from where he sat. He had been meditating till he sensed her coming.

"There was a woman in the village that went into labor, so training for the rest of the day has been canceled." She told them, leaving out the fact that she had offered to help the old miko and even telling her about how she had helped with such things before only to be leveled with a glare and told that she didn't want her tainted energy near the babe in fear that it would taint it as well.

"That is good. We was actually wanting to talk to you about something." Said Miroku before glancing to Sango who nodded to him with a little smile. He looked back to her as she sat down in a position much like his own in her miko clothing, the pants being blue instead of red. And when she nodded to him with a smile he started. "Well, while you are training we thought that it would be a good idea for the two of us to look for shards. While it would be much easier with you, we can go to near by villages and ask if any need help. That way even if we don't get a shard it would give us a little more money so that we can't get different things." They had come up with this idea awhile ago, but had wanted to wait till Kagome was settled into the new place. All he said had been the reasons behind it, but he did leave out the part about how it would be best of they got shards before Inuyasha and his undead miko could, but also because they hoped she would whine about having to stay much like she used to.

It was just to bad she didn't. She smiled wider at him before looking to Sango. "That sounds like a great idea! No need in you two sitting here with nothing to do, we do still need to get shards anyway. I'm sorry I didn't think about it before." She told them, happy at first then turning a little sheepish at the end. Miroku blinked his Violet eyes at her a couple times before closing them and nodding his head once.

"Very well, we will leave in the morning. We will try to come back by night fall but you know how things like that can go. But we promise not to try and stay gone more then two days at a time." At her nod her and Sango fell into pleasant conversation for the rest of the day while Miroku mostly listened, while he pretended to meditate so that he could think. Maybe their ex-friend had done more damage to the miko then ether of them thought. Of course they knew it had hurt her, but she never brought it up and she seemed rather happy, though she seemed more happy while in the western palace then she did now but it still hadn't been complete.

He was learning now that she was simply withdrawn and he wasn't sure if she even noticed it herself. There was always the chance that maybe the situation had caused her to grow up more and that was why she wasn't as tempered as she had been. But had that been it, there still would have been things that would set her off. Even him, the calm and thoughtful one, had things that would set him off. But with her it was as if things that should have her yelling and raging wasn't filtered though, or maybe was just filtered to strongly.

As sun started it decent it seemed that she was the first to feel the coming demons. She jumped up right away, a big smile on her face as she looked into the distance into the sky to see the little spec that would soon become Ah-Un with her little Shippo. She had a paper in her hand that she had sealed with wax to be given to Sesshomaru informing him of the fact that Miroku and Sango may not be home in the evenings when Shippo would come back and asking that Ah-Un stay with the kit if she too was still training when he would get back. And ask the two headed beast landed she caught the kit that jumped into her arms with a laugh and a kiss to his forehead. This was when she was really happen, she she was with her kit and even her friends could see it.

Before the kit could start telling her about his day in excited tones she used her free hand to pat the dragon's noses, cooing them softly her thanks. As the kit hopped down and bounded into the hut to get a apple that had already been sliced in half, one half for each head she showed them the paper. "Ah-Un, I need you to give this to lord Sesshomaru. And if he's fine with it, do you mind staying here and watching over Shippo if no one is here when you bring him back?" The two heads looked to each other, one snorted in what was clearly a resounding no, it was Un, he was never one to like to do things for people but as Ah make some grumbling and clicking sounds before headbutting his other half he seemed to heave a sigh and nodded his head and ah looked at her, a happy sparkle in its eyes as it also nodded, more entrusted then his other half to the point of almost knocking heads with the laughing miko who had to lean to the side so that it wouldn't happen.

As Shippo came running out and she had just tucked the paper into one of the saddle bags and reached down to take one of the halfs of the apple before also picking up her kit as as she walked back in front of the dragon she noticed there was a couple of village women watching from afar and gave them a smile before her and Shippo each gave one of the heads a apple. Once they finished their treat she pet them both, giving them a scratch behind the ears before backing away and letting them take to the sky's to head back home. And as she looked back to where the women was before they was gone so she simply shrugged and head inside to listen to Shippo tell her about what Shoji had taught him that day, get a letter that she would get every other day from said fox demon, and tell Shippo of how Sango and Miroku was going to be helping other villages and How he would have to have Ah-Un watch him on the days that she came back late from training if Sesshomaru allowed it.

The night was finally on them and after making sure Shippo was fast asleep beside her she got up carefully, thankful that the separate rooms kept her from worrying about waking her friends as well. She picked up the letter and a pen and paper of her own before heading out of the room and outside, not even bothering to put her shoes on. The crisp green grass was cool on the bottom of her feel from the damp night air, it would rain soon, she could tell, no more then a couple of days from now. She made her way to the side of the hut where there was a little bench and the light from the moon shown down on her so that she could read the letter from her friend. Sitting down she placed all but the letter beside her before opening it to read. They had kept in touch, the first letter had come with her kit about three days after she left, it was mostly his saying he was sorry again for what happened before she left and that he hoped she forgave him enough to write back to him at least. She of course informed him that it was okay, he hadn't really done anything wrong after all, in fact, even now as she thought about it she blushed deeply.

It had gone on as the past couple of days they had been sending letters with Shippo every day. This time the letter was mostly about what he had been teaching her kit, clearly he didn't know she had heard most of it from him already, but also about what he planed to teach him. Missed in there was a little about what he had been doing outside of training him, and at the end was three little words... 'I miss you.' She smileed sadly at the paper. She missed her dear friend as well. They had gotten close in the short time she had been there. Once she re read it she picked up her notebook and pen and started to write to him. She had told him many things, but there was some things she did leave out. She didn't want him to feel even worse about her being here, just as she didn't want things getting back the Sesshomaru. So she left out any real detail about her training, simply saying that it was rather boring but she was getting better every day. And it was true, she did feel that she was getting better, even with the lashing she would get for messing up little things.

As she finished her letter she folded it before heading back inside where she put her things away before yawning silently and laying back with her kit, the minute her hand rested on him his big green eyes opened a little to look at her before giving her a sleepy smile and snuggling close to her as she wrapped her arms around him and she soon driffed off to sleep with him.

**~~~~~~House of the West~~~~~**

Shoji couldn't sleep, as per usual. He hadn't been able to sleep much until exhaustion took him since his little Miko had left. Her scent was fading from the guest room she had been in and he knew it would only be there for another week at most as it was covered by the servants who would go in and out of there cleaning it every day along with the other rooms. But he had found another source of her scent. He moved his hand on his chest with the paper in it to his nose and breathed in deeply. It wasn't as fresh and pure as if she was actually there. But it was the closest he could get as of now. As he pulled it away and opened his eyes to look at the writing he smiled a little.

He was at least happy that her training was going well, he had been worried. She was the only miko he had ever seen that didn't only not hate demons, but didn't see humans who didn't hold that hate to be demons themselves. Granted she never really said much about her training, she would only give vague information and then ask about himself, and to his dislike, his lord. But thankfully there wasn't much to tell about him. He hadn't seen his friend in a few days, he didn't come out of his study often and he hadn't been to see him ether. After all, it was his fault that he didn't have his miko, and from what he had heard, he was in a bad mood anyway, he had scared the poor little mouse demon who had been her personal servant half to death when she had brought him his tea.

He did inform her that many people there actually missed her. She seemed to make friends with almost everyone, though there was still many who he had heard saying terrible things about her and saying how glad they was she was gone. Though they seemed to think twice now before saying such things after he had actually almost killed one who had happened to over hear talking about how he didn't see how a whore could be a miko. Ever since then he had only heard of what people had said, and not coming from them.

He placed the paper back onto his chest and sighed, demons tended to be a little nicer about a human who befriended demons, so he figured it was the same even with her being a miko, so he feared to find out what the humans would say about her. He feared that if he was to hear someone in the village she had gone to talking about her even half as bad as the poor soul had, he would wipe out the whole damn thing before calming. As he thought about defending his miko from the simple words of other and not even daring to think of what if it was more then just words in fear of going into a blood rage, exhaustion finally gripped him with it's dark nothing-ness and pulled him gently down into a dreamless sleep.

**~~~~~~~Sesshomaru~~~~~~~**

Sesshomaru wasn't having any better luck, if anything he was having a worse time. He paced in his study, his cold mask of indifference only slightly changed to one of rage. The first couple of days after taking the miko to the village she would be training in wasen't bad, but it didn't give him the feeling he had hoped for. He had not been happy to leave her there, but he had been happy to get her away from Shoji. But as they days went on, his beast constant howling and slamming against the sides of his mental cage was making him second guess himself yet again. He did not second guess himself! Anything he did he did it perfectly! But with the little miko he had done it twice already. First was when he had tried to get her and Shoji to become close so that he could have a reason to keep her there even after he was healed enough to leave, and it had been working, then he couldn't stop the idea of it from angering him and causing him to become possessive of her.

To counter his last plan and to get her away from himself as well so that those thoughts could go to hell where they belonged, he had set her up in the village she was now in. And even this he was second guessing! At first he thought that his beast protest was loud, but he soon found that was quiet compared to now. It was working on his nerves to the point that only the day before he had almost attacked one of his servants who had only mentioned the miko, saying that she didn't understand who others was upset about the girl because she had rather liked her. Now he didn't dare leave his study but to sleep and bath. He even had his meals in there, brought in by the shy mouse demon who had learned not to say anything to him, much less about the miko.

He plopped down onto the seat at his desk in a rather un-Sesshomaru like way with a sigh and closed his eyes to try and calm himself and his beast. This was stupid! He understood what his beast wanted, in the back of his mind he always had, even before any of this came to pass, maybe that was why he had never been able to kill her, or even his half brother at the time knowing that would upset her. But he would not follow in his father paw prints! He would not mate a filthy human girl, no matter how different or strong she was. No matter how much the scent coming from the paper on his desk calmed him slightly and yet enraged him.

When he had first gotten the letter it hadn't really effected him at all, he had simply read it and gave the dragon the okay to stay with the kit should his mother or her friends not be there. But as time went on, he found himself looking at it more and more, and not from the words on it, but because of her smell. And while part of him, even now, wanted to melt the paper down his his poison claws, the other part of him that wanted it to say so that he had her scent, was winning. He knew he would be getting no sleep that night.

**A/N:::**

While I had the time I figured I would give you guys one more! Let me know what you think! :3


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